


Returning

by shifty_cat



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Board Games, Cat Videos, Cybercrimes, F/F, F/M, Karaoke, Makoto Niijima Week, Pastries, Trains
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-25
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2020-10-28 06:41:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 66,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20774219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shifty_cat/pseuds/shifty_cat
Summary: Akira comes back to Tokyo.





	1. Trains

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UHwkfhwjsk

Makoto had a bit of a romantic idea of long distance trains, the sleek steel behemoths barreling across the country, bringing people to new places, to experience new things or begin new chapters of their lives. Her affection for the vast network of busy railways keeping Tokyo flowing was somewhat more limited, mainly an academic respect for the intricacy and efficiency of the system, as unpleasant as traveling packed like sardines with the lifeblood of the city could often be. 

Cross country train travel was different, had a sense of change and progress and excitement. Having spent almost her entire life within Tokyo, her main reference for the distinction were her father’s infrequent vacations with her and Sae, out to somewhere like Nara, where they could relax and he could enjoy introducing his daughters to cultural landmarks. While Officer Niijima was a serious and imposing force for Justice, he was also a Niijima and a dad, and seeing his girls learn and experience new things was probably the happiest Makoto could remember him being. Since his death she and Sae had made a trip once out to an onsen, but her sister’s increasing distance and workload meant Makoto hadn’t taken a long distance train trip in some time.

From what she remembered, they had actually had a bit of space on the train, and could sit back and enjoy the passing landscape, or read a book in peace (while she shared Akira’s habit of reading on the trains in Tokyo, it wasn’t the same, as the press of humanity, even if one were lucky enough to get a seat, was such that actually properly concentrating and giving her full attention to her reading was nigh impossible, at least for her, and she was very interested in how Akira seemed to be able to do it). There was a quiet kind of excitement to being together with her family, going somewhere unknown, but with the promise of seeing and learning something new.

While the memory was bittersweet, cross country trains seemed overall a rather pleasant mode of transportation, although going to see Akira in Inaba on her bike beat the pants off of it. Makoto had found herself experiencing a strangely alluring tension between her desire to see him and her duty to obey all traffic laws. In the end, her desire proved stronger even than traffic laws, and she maaay have been going a few kilometers per hour over the speed limit along some of the more scenic and sparsely traveled sections of her journey, although the general understanding was that the police were uninterested in such minor breaches, which seemed reasonable to her, as they likely had more serious matters to attend to.

While it was tempting, bringing Akira back to Tokyo on her bike was not a serious option, for at least two reasons. While Makoto adored the feeling of him riding behind her, his arms secured just tightly enough around her waist, maintaining it for the several hour trip would both put more of a strain on him than she wanted, and could potentially endanger him, which was entirely unacceptable to her. Also, she wasn’t sure she could fit everything he would need to bring in her bike’s panniers. So, she sat near the platform that gave her another reason to have a bit of a romantic idea of long distance trains. As she reminisced about petting the deer in Nara with her father, she awaited a train that she had a very good reason to feel a particular fondness for. The train that was bringing him back to her.

The four months between Akira’s return to Inaba and Makoto’s trip to visit him had been tough. While they talked as often as her schoolwork allowed, she missed actually being with him terribly, and her perpetually active mind worried about whether they could maintain a long distance relationship, or if he would find someone in Inaba who was better for him and leave her, or stay with her but regret his decision to do so. Of course, she wasn’t about to let a bit of emotional turmoil get in the way of her transition to university, or helping Futaba with her return to school, but her relief when she could finally see and hold and kiss him again was tremendous.

The three weeks between her return from Inaba and his move back to Tokyo were different. While the distance between them was still frustrating, her week with him had quelled her fears, assuring her that not only did she love him even more with each passing day, but that he loved her just as much. The memories they made on their vacation together sustained her until they could be together again (the “little Akira” she had picked up with Chie and Yukiko helped in that regard), and in place of the frightening uncertainty of those first months was the reassuring knowledge of when he would be coming back, and that this time it was for good.

As she checked the time again on her phone, a message came in.

Futaba: Contact in T-minus 5 minutes! Ｏ(≧▽≦)Ｏ

She smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smoothing out her favorite simple white blouse.

Akira had a bit of a strained relationship with long distance trains. While he had, in his younger days, taken occasional trips with his parents to places like Nara, to visit some of his dad’s monk friends and pet the deer, his most recent and significant experience with cross country train rides was far less pleasant. His first trip to Tokyo had been conflicted, to say the least. He had been branded a criminal and lost everyone he thought was his friend and everything he thought was his life, and while his transfer offered the possibility of a new life, it was a journey he had to take alone, into a frightening unknown. The trip had been tense and silent, with no contacts who were willing to return a text other than his parents, who he was nowhere near ready to speak to again.

With the benefit of hindsight, though, he could forgive the train that brought him to Tokyo. For everyone and everything he left behind, he found who he really was and where he really belonged. He found his purpose, and the people who he would share his purpose and his life with, and while he was thankful to have the opportunity to mend the bridges he had burned with his parents, his heart no longer lived in Inaba. His heart was waiting for him back in Tokyo. He looked up from his book to enjoy the landscape passing by the window of the train he felt a much easier affection for. The train that was bringing him back to her.

The four months between his return to Inaba and Makoto’s visit had been challenging. Again he had been uprooted from the new life he had made and transplanted to a home that was no longer his home in the same way it had been before. While he had repaired his relationship with his parents and made some great new friends, his home was with her, and he was acutely aware that, as much as he enjoyed spending time with Chie, Yukiko, and Kanji, he was biding his time until he could return to where he belonged, and the other family he had found.

The three weeks since Makoto’s return to Tokyo had been a blur of excitement and busy preparations. It was bittersweet leaving his parents and the Inaba Crew, but the former Investigation Team members were already active in a new Persona Users group (Chie and Yukiko, especially, seemed to have taken Ann under their wings in much the same way they had with Makoto, while Naoto often held incomprehensibly dense conversations about cyber security with Futaba).

He glanced over at Morgana, who was peeking surreptitiously out of his bag to enjoy the scenery, and reached over to scratch behind his ears. Attached to his collar was a mysterious little charm the Fox had given him as a parting gift (he had no idea how she made, found, or bought it, but it was very sweet of her). While it had been a sad parting, he was happy to be going home, too.

Akira checked the time and location on his phone, and mentally calculated. Five minutes. Five minutes until he would be back, with her, this time for good. He smiled to himself and checked one more time that he knew where all of his bags were.

As Akira’s train pulled into the station, Makoto hopped to her feet to spot him as he disembarked. As he stepped off onto the platform, he saw her signature hairband above the crowd just as she spotted his adorably messy mop, and her crimson eyes were reunited with his grey at last. He grinned as he walked over, his suitcases in tow. “Fancy meeting you here.”

She skipped over to him (he couldn’t believe how cute Makoto skipping was) and hopped up onto her toes to give him a quick first kiss before taking his bags, setting them down, and wrapping him in a tight embrace. “Futaba was able to ascertain which train you would be on. I thought… you might want a little help with your things.”

He nodded with a smile and asked her with his eyes if he could give her a proper kiss in spite of the crowds. She answered by bringing a hand up to tangle in the messy hair she had missed, and pulling him down to meet her lips in the kiss they had both counted down to for the last twenty one days, one of profound satisfaction and joy that after all the times they had been pulled apart, they could finally begin a new life together.

While both of them would have been perfectly content if time should stop there, they had all the time in the world to enjoy one another, and Makoto finally pulled back with a contented smile. “Well, we should probably head to Yongen Jaya. I’m sure the rest of the Thieves will be happy to see you too.”

Akira softly brushed her cheek and leaned down to give her one more quick, gentle kiss, then tested the weight of his bags before handing her a couple of the lighter ones, and they walked shoulder to shoulder, hands intertwined, to the line that would bring him back to his home.

“Ugh, I’ll never get used to this!”

Makoto giggled at the annoyed yowl coming from Akira’s bag, and adjusted herself, pressed against Akira in the crowded train, to reach in and gently scratch under Morgana’s chin. “Yes, even living here all my life, the subways can be a bit much, but they’re necessary to the functioning of the city. Don’t worry, we’re almost there, and everyone is very excited to see you again.”

The bag began to vibrate with a loud purr. “Even Lady Ann?”

Makoto nodded with a laugh and ran her hand lightly down his neck to scratch between his shoulders. “Of course. I don’t know whether Ann, Futaba, or Haru was the most happy for your return, but we all missed you, so get ready for all the pets you can handle.”

Morgana purred even louder and affectionately headbutted her hand. “It’ll be nice to be with people who appreciate me. Akira totally takes for granted how awesome I am.”

Akira rolled his eyes and shook his head, then his eyes met Makoto’s, both of them smiling and trying not to laugh. Within the crowd, he brought up his free hand to lightly hold her waist, pulling her a little closer, and she leaned in to rest against his chest, breathing in the familiar scent of good coffee that still emanated from him like a subtle aura of comfort and excitement. He was finally home.


	2. Status Report

An air of excitement mixed with impatience permeated the atmosphere of Leblanc, as the Phantom Thieves, minus Akira, Makoto, and Morgana, awaited the return of their leaders (and cat). The impatience was primarily emanating from Ryuji, who was anxiously bouncing a rubber ball he had found somewhere on the table as he sipped noisily from his soda. Ann, by contrast, was impressively calm, pointedly ignoring the continual bouncing and sipping noises as she texted Shiho about their plans for the next few days. Futaba posted memes in the Persona Users group chat on her phone with one hand as she triangulated Akira and Makoto’s position to estimate their arrival time on her laptop with the other. Haru quietly conferred with Sojiro about the business and art of coffee, while Yusuke spent some quality time admiring the Sayuri.

Ryuji finished his drink with a loud slurp and slammed his hand on the table. “Gaaaah, I can’t take it anymore! What the hell’s takin’ ‘em so long?”

Ann set down her phone and rolled her eyes with a sigh. “Oh please, Makoto’s only been gone for like twenty minutes. I’m sure they’ll be back soon.”

He leaned back in his seat and frowned at her. “Yeah? Well I just hope they didn’t stop for, like, dinner and a movie while we’re all waitin’ for ‘em.”

She leaned her chin on her hand and smirked at him. “You’re lucky Makoto shares her boyfriend with you to begin with. Or should I say ‘your boyfriend’?”

He crossed his arms defensively across his chest. “Hey, he ain’t my ‘boyfriend’, he’s just my Best Bro. Anyway, don’t try an’ act like you don’t wanna see him too.”

She laughed and picked her phone back up. “Of course I want to see him, but I’ve got other things in my life to think about instead of just stewing in it.”

He leaned over to try (unsuccessfully) to get a look at her phone. “Hey, yeah. Ever since Makoto introduced you to Chie and Yukiko, you’ve been all sunshine an’ rainbows. What’s up with that?”

She held her phone away from him and grinned. “That’s extremely None of Your Business. Maybe try developing some tact so you can get a girlfriend and find out for yourself.”

He raised his hands in front of his chest with a scandalized expression. “Hey! I’ve got loadsa tact!”

Haru returned to the booth and sat across from them. “I think you’re being too harsh, Ann. While Ryuji is admittedly a bit rough around the edges, he can be quite charming at times.”

Ryuji pointed at her with a grin. “See, Haru gets it, and she’s totally sophisticated. I’m just one of those ‘diamonds in the rug’ or something.”

As he leaned across Ann to check Akira and Makoto’s location on Futaba’s computer, she gave Haru a knowing look and an almost imperceptible smirk over his shoulder, causing a faint blush to appear on her cheek.

Yongen-Jaya hadn’t changed much in the time he was away, the quiet, out of the way district still trundling along at its own pace, the noise of the city muted to a background hum. What had changed was what the neighborhood meant to Makoto and Akira, as they strolled together through the backstreets from the station to Leblanc at a leisurely pace. For Akira, it was a home he had been away from for far too long. The old theater (where he had taken Makoto for a number of dates), the pawn shop where he bought his old TV and Famidrive, the bathhouse where he spent his Monday and Thursday evenings soaking in steaming mugwort infused water, all exuded a comfortable familiarity that he was quietly ecstatic to be returning to.

Yongen-Jaya had become a central part of Makoto’s life as well, but for her there was one major complication. During Akira’s previous stay there, the neighborhood had become inextricably associated with him to her, an extension of his being like the smell of Leblanc’s coffee. Since he had been gone, she still regularly frequented the neighborhood, to ensure Futaba kept up with her studies or enjoy a cup of Sojiro’s coffee (always perfect, but never as good as Akira’s, as far as she was concerned), but his absence left a void that made her visits to the quiet backstreets unavoidably bittersweet. The relaxing quiet of the neighborhood was missing the one element that was most important to her, and while she craved the reminder of him the locale brought, the comfort it could bring her was always incomplete, as long as he wasn’t there.

Returning to Leblanc together had the feeling of a momentous completion for both of them, the end of their third and longest exile from one another. They had come a long way, the strange, often painful journey that had torn them apart more than either of them wanted finally giving way to the new beginning of the rest of their lives, and both were fully committed to sharing every aspect of this new journey, freshly exciting, perhaps, precisely because of how comparatively mundane it was. They had been brought together by very unusual circumstances, and their reward for coming so far and achieving so much was the opportunity to finally make a normal life together. Makoto’s visit to Inaba proved they didn’t need the Metaverse for excitement, all they needed was each other.

The subtle, meaningful smile she flashed as she glanced over at him indicated that she was very ready to enjoy a little excitement with him. Later. After his reunion with the rest of the Thieves.

Akira broke the comfortable silence they shared. “So, how are they doing? We’ve talked in chat, but I’d appreciate an assessment from my most trusted advisor.”

Makoto nodded with a thoughtful hum. “Well, Futaba’s first term at Shujin went better than anticipated. The transition was a bit rough, but Ryuji and Ann were tremendously helpful in getting her acclimated. Her grades are exemplary… although there have been a couple instances of her using inappropriate language in class. Thankfully, Principal Kawakami has been quite understanding, but honestly I don’t understand why online discourse is so vulgar.”

He chuckled with a grin. “She can be a bit… unfiltered, when she gets passionate about something. I was afraid she would have trouble making friends there, so I’m really glad Ryuji and Ann are there for her. And I figured she’d do great academically. I’m unbelievably lucky that the two women I’m closest to are both geniuses.”

She blushed, with a pleased giggle. “Flatterer. Futaba is certainly brilliant, but I’ve never considered myself to have any exceptional ability, other than willingness to buckle down and study diligently.”

He leaned over to plant a discreet kiss behind her ear, and whispered. “A genius, and entirely too modest.”

She let out a quiet hum of enjoyment, then gently bumped him away with her shoulder. “And you’re entirely too much. Anyway, Ryuji is… well, still very much Ryuji. I haven’t had much success in trying to get him to take his studies more seriously, but he did take a part time job as a trainer at Protein Lovers, which he seems to enjoy. He’s mellowed out a bit, but still seems to have a bit of trouble relating to other students outside of the Thieves, and it’s clear that he misses you terribly.”

He nodded with a serious expression. “Yeah, I missed him too, and I’m afraid his tough guy mask isn’t exactly conducive to his making new friends. I think I should make some extra time for him, to reassure him that I’m there for him.”

She gave him a gentle smile and leaned over to softly kiss his cheek, letting him know that she understood, and was willing to share him with his best friend. “Ann has been… well, giddy. I can only imagine what advice Chie and Yukiko gave her, but it seems to have worked, and she’s been spending A Lot of time with Shiho. Her grades still aren’t the best, but she at least tries, even if her attention span when studying can leave something to be desired.”

He smiled with a satisfied hum. “I’m glad. If anyone deserves to be happy, it’s them, after everything they’ve been through. She’s still modeling?”

A faint blush arose in Makoto’s cheek. “Yes… although whenever we discuss it, she suggests that we should do a shoot together, which is absolutely absurd. I’m certainly no model.”

He grinned and brought up a hand to rest lightly on her lower back. “You would outshine the sun, My Queen.”

Her blush intensified exponentially, but she couldn’t deny how good the combination of his words and his touch made her feel. As long as they had been together, he could still manage to catch her off guard and sweep her off her feet, and god had she ever missed that while he was away.

She took a moment to calm down enough to continue. “Yusuke has had some success with exhibiting his art, and he’s getting better with budgeting and living within his means, so you shouldn’t have to worry about him subsisting entirely on beansprouts.”

He nodded in approval. “About time he started getting appreciated. I’m guessing he has you to thank for learning to budget?”

She hummed in confirmation. “Mhm. He’s been quite busy lately, but he does visit Leblanc fairly often, to study the Sayuri...” She glanced over at him with a subtle smile. “...and to spend time with Futaba.” She let out a giggle at his wide-eyed look of surprise. “Well, you know how they tease each other. I don’t think either would admit it, but I sense some sparks between them. They often spend the afternoon playfully sniping at each other while he draws and she… does whatever it is she does on her computer all day.”

He silently considered this information.

She tapped her finger to her chin. “And Haru has been quite busy too. She’s found some subordinates she can trust to manage the daily business of Okumura Foods, but between studying business and economics, board meetings, and plans for her cafes, she has a lot on her plate. She does come by Leblanc when she can to unwind and discuss coffee with Sojiro. Oh, and we’ve been keeping your plant healthy.”

He gave her a warm smile and a quick, grateful kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, I was worried how it would do without me.”

She accepted his affection with pleasure, then took on a more serious and thoughtful expression. “Although… she hides it with her sweet, positive demeanor, but I get the impression that Haru is… a bit lonely. She doesn’t have much time for socializing, and it seems most of her peers are primarily interested in her money and her name, so she doesn’t get too close to many people. She’s all alone in that big house. I think she’d like someone to share her free time with.”

He nodded with a serious hum. “I think you may be right. Haru’s such a sweetheart, and does so much to try to make people happy. She deserves someone to make her happy too.” 

Noticing that they had almost arrived at Leblanc, he turned to her with an affectionate smile. “And you? How have you been?”

She returned his smile and brought a hand up to trace her fingers along his arm. “Well, it has been frustrating not being able to touch you, but since our vacation, the dread of whether we would ever be together again has been replaced by the exciting anticipation of when we would be. University has been somewhat easier than I expected, but being around other people in my field does make me feel like less of an aberration for caring about my grades. Crossroads is always interesting, and Lala-chan will be very happy to see you again.”

She looked up from him to the familiar storefront in front of them, then back to him with a bright smile. “You’re home. Ready?”

He gave her an excited smirk. “It’s showtime.”


	3. Reunion

His first reunion had been a painful affair, in more ways than one. While he had only been apart from them for one day, it was the longest day in his or Makoto’s lives (maybe it was the drugs, but explaining all of his activities over the past months to Sae felt like it took longer than it took to live through them). When he returned to Leblanc, he was barely standing, and while he managed to hold it together well enough while they explained their plan to Sojiro and Sae, he could see in Makoto’s eyes that she saw through his mask and knew he was hurting far more than he let on. 

She stayed with him (with the rationale that she was both his advisor and their primary healer) after the others had left. When she softly touched his cheek, reaching through the clearing fog in his mind to tell him they were alone and he didn’t need to hide his wounds from her, he collapsed into her arms, all the pain and fear and uncertainty he had been holding in coming to the surface. Gently, she kissed his bruised cheek, and gently she supported him up the stairs to his room. Necessity overcame propriety as she told him to strip and let her examine his injuries, dismissing his attempt at innuendo with a stern look through her blush.

When she saw the extent of the damage, it was Makoto’s turn to hold herself together, fighting back her tears to properly assess just how badly he had been treated, each pained gasp as she delicately felt his bruises an arrow in her heart. While their plans had focused on Akechi’s plot to kill him, she had worked under the assumption that his interrogation would be, more or less, a by the books affair. That he had been tortured by the police, and that it was only his iron will and presence of mind that enabled him to fight through the pain and the drugs to convince Sae of their Justice, was both a terrible blow to her trust in the justice system, and felt like a profound failure on her part.

Seeing her trembling lip as she compressed a particularly large and unpleasant bruise on his leg with an Ace wrap, he reached out a hand to gently touch her cheek. “I promise, it looks a lot worse than it is.”

She looked him in the eyes, the tears she had been holding in beginning to spill out. “I should have accounted for this in our plans. I wasn’t able to protect you. I’m so sorry.”

He managed a grin through the pain as he brushed a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Makoto, the plan worked. You saved my life.”

She stayed with him (neither of them wanted to be alone that night, and no further rationale was necessary), carefully holding him as she lay beside him, both of them finally able to relax for a moment, relief and exhaustion washing over them. There was still a great deal to do, but for one night, they could rest.

His second reunion was an extraordinary relief after a long, agonizing solitude. A month and a half in solitary confinement, outside of his testimony against Shido and occasional visits from Sae to discuss his case, had him questioning his own sanity, and wondering if he could still be the person his teammates were working to free. Above all else was one terrifying, inescapable thought, that he had broken his promise to Makoto, to stay with her forever, and had kept his intention to turn himself in from her. While he had done it all to protect her, to protect all of them, he was keenly aware of how deeply he had hurt her and how profoundly he had betrayed her trust. Alone in his cell, he could only pray that she could forgive him, that she still loved him, even if he didn’t deserve her. In his darkest moments of doubt, he wondered if it would be better if she didn’t. If he never got out, and would never see her again, the wound he had inflicted would at least help her move on.

Sojiro had assured him, on the ride from juvenile hall back to Leblanc, that they were all excited to see him again, but he had to see her, to read her eyes and know if the love that had kept him afloat was still alive there. When their eyes finally met, and he saw in hers a mirror of his own fears, that she had lost him or he had lost himself, he was torn between feeling like the luckiest man in the world for having her, or the lowest scum for ever betraying her, ever hurting her, and ever doubting her. In that moment, though, what he needed above all else was to be there with her, to hold her again, to reassure them both that their love was alive, and strong, and that everything that tried to tear them apart would only ever bring them closer together. The next day, Valentine’s Day, she let him know exactly how close to him she wanted to be, bringing their relationship to a new level that would lead them to heights of intimacy and ecstasy that he hoped they would never stop exploring.

It was also Valentine’s Day, however, that they confronted the bitter reality that they had only a short while before he was heading back. It was a cruel twist of the knife that, after they had been robbed of so much time together, the time they had before he would be exiled again was so limited. They agreed that, rather than dwelling on the time slipping away from them, they should make the most of every day they had. This, in combination with the new dimension in their relationship, led to some very productive study sessions, which served to deepen their commitment to one another, and to making their partnership work no matter what. Their parting was still bitter, but he had already begun formulating plans for his return, and he promised himself that this time he would waste no time on worries or doubts, but would use his time away to become the person she deserved. He was lucky to find confidants in Inaba who helped him in that mission.

His third reunion, she was by his side, smile bright and eyes sparkling, standing on the threshold of the rest of their lives together, and he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was the luckiest man in the world. He grinned affectionately and leaned in to give her a soft, tender kiss, before opening the door and stepping into Leblanc.

Futaba, who had advanced knowledge of their location and had been watching the door like a hawk, was the first out of the booth, rushing over to give her de facto big brother a tackling hug. Makoto caught him, supporting him with a gentle hand on his back as the younger girl barreled into him, burying her face in his chest and clinging tightly to his waist. He smiled down gently as he returned her embrace and brought up a hand to softly pat the back of her head. “Are you alright, Futaba?”

She nodded against his chest, sniffling loudly. “Mhm, I just… really missed you.”

He leaned down to give her a soft kiss on the top of her head. “I missed you too. I understand you’re doing well in school.”

She perked up and pulled back, looking up at him with a confident smirk. “Oh, yeah! It’s totally easy mode. I feel like a level twenty wizard roflstomping CR five trash mobs.” She turned away with a pout. “But I still wish I had my key item with me. Ann and Ryuji have been awesome, but it’s not the same without you.”

He gave her a sympathetic smile and a nod, then turned a hard stare to Ryuji, who was waiting (not entirely patiently) for his turn to greet him. “Speaking of school...”

Ryuji’s eyes widened in panic. “What?! Me?!”

Akira chuckled and broke into a playful smirk. “Thanks for helping Futaba with getting used to Shujin. Makoto says you’ve started working at Protein Lovers.”

Ryuji laughed and grinned, as Futaba detached herself from Akira with a giggle, and stepped up to give him a brotherly hug and a clap on the back. “Alright, dude, you got me. Yea, I’ve been helpin’ out at the gym. It’s been pretty cool. Nice bein’ the guy who knows what he’s doin’ for once. But daaamn, you’re gettin’ ripped! You been workin’ out?”

Akira nodded with a hum. “Mhm, Chie’s been making sure I stay in fighting shape so I can give Makoto a respectable challenge.”

Ryuji shook his head with an incredulous grin. “Man, what is it with you and scary, badass chicks?” He glanced at Makoto with a hint of fear. “Uuuuh, no offense, Queen.”

Akira shrugged and grinned at Makoto (who rolled her eyes with a weary sigh), wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her hip an affectionate squeeze. “What can I say? I like the kind of woman who can kick my ass.”

Futaba snickered. “Okay, Spike.”

He turned to Ann, who was waiting for her turn with her hands on her hips and giving him an approving grin. He held out his free arm and she stepped in to give him a hug and a quick, friendly kiss on the cheek. They shared subtle, knowing grins. “How’s Shiho?”

She gave him an excited smile through a deepening blush. “She’s awesome! I’m so glad you met Chie and Yukiko, they really set me straight… I mean… well, you know what I mean. Anyway, I hope they can come up to visit soon.”

He nodded with a satisfied smile. “Glad to hear it. Yukiko says the busy season at the inn ends once classes start, and Chie’s built up some vacation days, and isn’t exactly overwhelmed in Inaba, so they should be able to visit sometime in September or October.”

Haru tapped a finger to her chin in thought. “Oh, but Akira, won’t you have returned to your home town by then?”

An uncomfortable murmur spread among the Thieves at the reminder, as Akira and Makoto shared a subtle look. He turned to her with a grin. “Would you like to do the honors?”

Makoto nodded and pulled a slightly crumpled letter from her bag, cleared her throat, and announced, in a perfectly official sounding voice, the news of Akira’s acceptance back to Shujin Academy to finish his third year. 

The ensuing excited roar awakened Morgana, who had been lulled into a deep, peaceful sleep by Makoto and Akira’s quiet, intimate conversations as they walked through Yongen Jaya. The furry Thief popped his head out of Akira’s bag and looked around in dismay. “Hey, what about me? I’m back too!”

Haru gently pulled him out of the bag, cradling him and nuzzling the top of his head. “It’s wonderful to see you too, Morgana. You always brighten up my day.”

He began to purr loudly, and Haru passed him to Ann, who gave him an affectionate kiss on the bridge of his nose, causing him to purr much louder. “Lady Ann~.”

As Ann, Futaba, and Haru treated Morgana to an intensive petting session, Yusuke approached Akira and Makoto with a thoughtful expression. “I didn’t realize that your mother was an artist, Akira. Makoto showed me some of her work, and while she retains some of the roughness of a hobbyist, she has managed to capture the essence of your Love in a way I have yet to accomplish.”

Akira nodded with a proud smile. “She’s done about a thousand portraits of my dad. It’s just something they like to do together in the evening, so she’s gotten pretty good at it.”

Yusuke gave him a satisfied hum, then brought a hand to his chin in deep consideration. “I would relish the opportunity to attempt to express that love in my own paintings. Perhaps I could capture you in the throes of passionate lovemaking.”

Unfazed by the hard glares and simultaneous “No!” from both Makoto and Akira, he shook his head with a wry grin. “You may be right, such a piece would be too cliché, too on the nose. It is, after all, the subtle gestures of affection that I wish to express. Perhaps a kiss, then?”

Akira shrugged and turned to Makoto with a questioning look. She thought for a moment, then gave him a playful smile. “Maybe.”

Yusuke, seemingly pleased with this development, nodded and turned away with a smile to frame the girls and Morgana with his fingers. Morgana was in ecstasy, lying on his back on the table as Futaba rubbed his belly and Ann scratched his cheeks, while Haru giggled at how adorable he was.

Sojiro frowned and shook his head at the cat on his table, then turned to Akira. “Just be sure to clean that booth before I open tomorrow.” Akira nodded with a smirk, and Sojiro let his gruff demeanor slip for a moment, giving him an affectionate smile. “It’s good to see you again, kid.”


	4. Accommodations

With their greetings done, the Thieves discussed where they should go for a celebratory homecoming meal. While Akira was eager to have Sojiro’s curry again, he also knew he would be eating A Lot of it, so he was perfectly content to go out for something a bit different. While everyone had their own suggestions, Morgana’s vote for sushi was by far the most enthusiastic (in Inaba, he only had the opportunity when Akira took a trip to Okina City, and while Mrs. Kurusu’s grilled fish was an excellent replacement, his desire for fatty tuna would not be satisfied by anything else). There were no serious objections (although Ryuji put up a token resistance, if only because it was Morgana), so sushi it was.

As Akira hoisted his bags to carry them up to the attic before they headed out, Sojiro held up a hand and shook his head with a grin. “Hold up, kid. Got something to show you.” He nodded towards the door, then stepped around the bar, picked up the bags Makoto had been carrying, and led the couple down the street to the Sakura home, with Futaba bouncing along excitedly behind them. Akira turned to Makoto with a curious raise of his eyebrow, and she gave him a knowing smirk and a kiss on the cheek.

As the four of them made their way down the hall past Futaba’s room, Sojiro glanced over at Akira with a warm smile. "Since you're officially no longer a delinquent, you deserve something a bit better than an attic over the café." He opened the door at the end of the hall and stepped aside to show Akira a room he had never seen before. “This used to be my old home office back when I was doing government work, but it’s just been gathering books and papers and junk for years.”

Akira’s jaw dropped when he saw the room. Along one wall was a series of bookshelves, partially full. Against the opposite wall was an attractive hardwood desk, old but clearly refurbished recently, with a dresser next to it, and next to that, a large, comfortable bed, with fresh sheets and fluffy pillows. Sojiro regarded the bookshelves with his hands on his hips. “Futaba and Makoto went through and picked out everything they figured you’d be interested in, then brought the rest to Jinbocho. The desk was mine, but we gave it a bit of a polish. The bed’s new, though.”

Akira ran his fingers lightly across the texts on law and political science, along with some history, sociology, philosophy, and the numerous novels (old but in good condition), then walked across the room to test the bed (a perfect balance between firm and soft). Sojiro stroked his goatee and chuckled. “Beats the hell out of that old cot, huh? I figure you’ve more than earned it with all the help you gave me at Leblanc.”

Akira turned to face the three of them, all giving him bright, expectant smiles. He set his bags down on the bed and walked over to give Sojiro a very grateful hug. While the older man looked very surprised and a bit uncomfortable with the affection at first, after a moment he smiled and patted Akira’s back. “Whoa, whoa! Okay, okay kid. I’m glad you like it.”

When Akira turned to Futaba, she gave him a broad, cheeky grin. “And this isn’t even the best part! Follow me if you dare, adventurer. You too, Queen.” She led the way back to her room, and showed them a respectable looking PC, and a flat screen Akira recognized as being one of the half-dozen or so she normally used. She planted her hands on her hips and gave the computer an approving nod. “That laptop you fixed was kind of a piece of crap, sooooo I built you a proper rig.”

As Akira attempted to voice some combination of thanks and protest for her spending so much on him, she shook her head with a chuckle. “Oh please, I have like a bajillion spare parts. It was just a fetch quest to find decent components and Frankenstein it all together. It was good practice, anyway. You grab the tower. Queen, could you take the monitor, please?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively at the couple. “I’ve got a wireless mouse and keyboard for you too, so you can watch movies ~in bed~.”

As they carried the computer back to Akira’s room, Makoto turned to him with a playful smirk. “Pleasant surprises, right?”

He smiled back and nodded. “Extremely pleasant. That bed looks… quite functional.”

She giggled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Perhaps we should conduct some structural integrity tests… After sushi.”

Over their meals (with Akira surreptitiously slipping slices of otoro sashimi down to his bag), the Thieves discussed their lives, both with Akira and with each other. While Ann and Ryuji still spent a significant amount of time together driving each other nuts (when Ann wasn’t on a date with Shiho), and Yusuke and Futaba were starting to hang out quite a bit, Akira’s homecoming was the first time all of them had been together since Makoto’s return from Inaba three weeks prior. They all had their own lives, and without the unifying mission of the Phantom Thieves, their lives were pulling them all in different directions that made it harder for them to get together as a group.

The only one who had been regularly spending time with everyone else was Makoto, whose well-earned title of Team Mom had her keeping in touch with all of them, ensuring they were all doing well, both in school and in life. Helping Futaba study, working out with Ryuji, lunches with Ann, lessons on fiscal responsibility with Yusuke, and gardening with Haru. She was also motivated by an unspoken, half-conscious promise to Akira, to look after their friends and hold them together in his absence. She knew a large part of the team’s cohesion under him was due to his committing his time to them, and was doing her best to be there for them while he couldn’t be.

While she had initially been a bit apprehensive about everyone’s willingness to spend time with her, she quickly found that they were all enthusiastic to hang out. As she strengthened her bonds with each of them, she found herself deepening her understanding both of them and of Akira. High on the list of the innumerable things she loved about him was his willingness to give his time and attention, to listen sincerely, help with problems, and celebrate personal victories. As she followed in his footsteps, her appreciation for all he had done to forge those connections deepened, as did her sense of connection to him, and she found herself loving him all the more.

As each of their friends described the common element of Makoto’s caring, supportive presence, Akira glanced over at her with a proud, loving smile, and laid his hand over hers. He knew well how important that presence and those connections were, and knowing that the compassionate person he knew Makoto to be was blossoming into someone who nurtured the people around her made him love her all the more. They shared a subtle, affectionate look, and he gently nudged her with his shoulder before picking up a piece of his saba on his chopsticks and offering it to her. She smirked and picked up a piece of her unagi to offer him in exchange.

Just as they brought their mutual offerings of sushi to one another’s lips, they heard a click. With wide eyes and a mouthful of mackerel, Makoto looked over to find Ann snapping a photo of them on her phone, letting out a very pleased giggle at the results before passing the phone across to her with a grin. “Sorry, but that was waaay too cute not to get a picture of. Want me to send it to you?”

Still chewing the sushi, Makoto groaned and rolled her eyes, but upon examining the photo, she had to admit that it was, in fact, extremely cute. With a sigh through her nose and a deepening blush, she nodded and handed the phone back to Ann. A moment later, the picture arrived on Makoto and Akira’s phones, and a moment after that, Akira posted it to the Persona Users group chat, as he savored the piece of eel with a perfectly innocent expression.

The Thieves all expressed their approval of the couple’s unbelievable cuteness, and Ryuji lightly tapped Akira’s arm with his chopsticks, leaning in to whisper (to the extent Ryuji was capable of whispering). “Dude, what’s your secret? How do I get a girl to look at me like that?”

Akira shrugged, glanced over at Makoto with a grin, and popped another piece of sushi into his mouth. A few seconds later, their phones all buzzed with a pair of messages in the group chat.

Chie: Do you two have, like, a lab somewhere where you invent new ways to be adorable?

Yukiko: Study partners, indeed. Perhaps we should conduct some studies of our own, Chie.

After their meal, the crew returned to Leblanc to continue their conversations and spend a little more time together before life began to pull them each in their own directions again. Futaba demolished Ryuji in several games on Akira’s Famidrive. Yusuke and Haru admired Akira’s plant, looking healthier than ever under her and Makoto’s care, and discussed the aesthetics of flora. Ann continued to tease Makoto and Akira about how adorable they were together. As evening deepened into night, the Thieves began to disperse, until only Akira, Makoto, Futaba, and Morgana remained.

The four of them made the short trip back to the Sakura home, and Futaba helped Akira set up his new computer, while Makoto helped him get his things unpacked and put away. Deep in one of his bags, kept safe in a cradle of shirts, she found a small treasure trove: the photo of them from Hawaii she recognized from his room in Inaba, along with a newly framed picture of the two of them in the hydrangea forest from her trip, Akemi Kurusu’s portrait of her, and her painting of the night sky with Makoto’s haiku. As she smiled fondly at the mementos of their relationship, she felt the warm, pleasant tickle of lips on the side of her neck, then an amorous whisper by her ear. “Sushi pic’s next.” She giggled and nodded in agreement.

Having finished with the computer, Futaba picked up Morgana and carried him out with a grin, leaving the couple alone together at last. Makoto wasted little time, turning to face Akira with a suggestive smirk and a smoldering fire in her eyes and standing on her toes to give him a soft, light kiss. She then gently pushed him down to sit on the edge of his bed and climbed up to straddle his lap, wrapping her legs around his back, tilting up his chin and drawing him into a deep, passionate Real Kiss (she loved this position, in no small part because it allowed her to kiss him from above for a change). As she pulled back, they shared playful smirks, wordlessly expressing how excited they both were to be able to do this again.

She pulled off his white buttoned shirt and dipped in to plant a line of kisses from his shoulder up his neck to his jaw, as he slid her blouse up her sides and gave her hips an affectionate squeeze. Then they heard a quiet knock on the door. Makoto quickly vacated Akira’s lap, and he grabbed a pillow to cover the very noticeable bulge in his jeans. “W-who is it?” Makoto asked with a bit of a surprised squeak.

Futaba’s voice came softly from the other side of the door. “Do you guys want to watch some anime before bed? Mona wants to go to sleep, but with three of us we can overrule him.”

Makoto sighed and glanced over at Akira, who had a bit of a panicked look, then turned back toward the door with a giggle. “Of course, Futaba.” She glanced back at the pillow covering Akira’s crotch, then gave him a playful smirk. “Just… give us a few minutes to put on our pajamas.”


	5. Structural Integrity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long lost twins? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utLWiscq8d4

When Akira and Makoto had taken a few minutes to put on their pajamas (and for Akira’s blood-flow to return to normal), they joined Futaba in her room. Futaba was perched in her computer chair, grinning smugly at Morgana, who was pacing across her bed, looking rather grumpy about this egregious flouting of bedtime. 

As they entered, both turned to face them, Morgana looking scandalized and Futaba overjoyed. They joined Morgana on the bed, curling up together and getting comfortable, and the feline Thief plaintively pawed at Makoto’s arm. “Not you too, Queen! I know Joker doesn’t take bedtime seriously, but you know how important it is to get a good night’s sleep.”

Makoto shook her head with a giggle and scratched behind his ear. “Once class starts again, I do want Futaba to get to bed earlier, but for now I think she’ll be alright.” She turned to Futaba with a half-serious look. “Understood, Futaba? I’m putting Morgana in charge of making sure you don’t stay up until 3 AM on school nights.”

Futaba nodded and saluted. “Yes, Queen!”

Makoto turned back to Morgana with a diplomatic smile. “Besides, she hasn’t seen you or Akira in months. I’m sure that both she and he would appreciate spending a bit more time together.”

Morgana, looking partially placated, shrugged with a sigh, then curled up into a fuzzy ball by Makoto’s side. She smiled and gently stroked his neck, and before long he was purring softly. 

Conflict resolved, Futaba rolled her eyes with a giggle at the pacified Morgana, then turned to Akira and Makoto with a grin. “So, since Queen is still in Anime Appreciation 101, I thought we’d go with a classic tonight.” She picked up a DVD case off her desk with a flourish and showed them Cowboy Bebop: The Movie. 

Akira chuckled and nuzzled his cheek against Makoto’s hair as Futaba slid the disc into her computer and set it to the largest and most easily seen monitor. “I think you’ll enjoy this one.”

As Spike Spiegel stylishly dispatched a group of robbers, Futaba turned with a smirk to Akira. “Long lost twins, separated at birth?”

Akira shrugged with a grin, and Makoto giggled and tousled his hair. “I can certainly see the resemblance, although your hair is a little less absurd, and much cuter.”

Makoto did, in fact, enjoy this one quite a bit. Both the ambiguous morality of future bounty hunters and the fluidly animated fight scenes were very appealing (and it definitely didn’t hurt that the protagonist did bear an uncanny resemblance to Akira), but the real standout was the outstanding music, which she made a mental note to look into further on her own time.

When they got to one scene in particular, though, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud, looking up at Akira with a very amused smile. “So that’s where you got that line!”

He gave her a playful smirk and leaned down to give her a soft kiss. “Words to live by.”

By the end credits, Futaba was fast asleep. Akira and Makoto stretched and quietly got up, and Makoto gently lifted Futaba and transferred her from her chair to the bed, tucking her in next to Morgana. Then she gave Akira a suggestive smirk and took him by the hand, leading him back to his room to conduct some… structural integrity tests on his new bed.

Valentine’s Day, immediately following Akira’s release, was his first time… being with Makoto. While it was something he had been dreaming of for a long time, the experience was… a bit mortifying. Everything about her, the way she moved, the way she felt, the way she tasted, was beyond his wildest imagination, and beyond what he could withstand, meaning that while it was incredibly exciting, it was far briefer than he had intended. The subtle hint of disappointment on her face (as well as she tried to hide it with a gentle, understanding smile) when he finished while she was still very much in the mood for more was entirely unacceptable to him, and he promised himself on the spot that, from that point on, his Queen would always come first.

Fortunately, neither of them was willing to let a minor setback deter them, and both were intent to develop the skills to properly express the depths of their affection for one another. Practice, along with a little independent research into some different techniques to try with her, soon had him performing at a level that they both found much more satisfying. While oral had its own learning curve, Makoto was quick to signal what was working for her and what wasn’t, and as he grew in experience and confidence, he was able to start getting more creative and playful, which clearly worked extremely well. Bringing Makoto to the heights of ecstasy was an incomparable feeling, and the kiss she gave him afterwards was beautiful beyond his ability to conceptualize.

Discovering Queen On Top was a life changing experience. The first time was entirely an accident, playing around with the effects of a little teasing and frustration, and when she grabbed his hair and pulled him into a deep, assertive kiss, the fire in her eyes blazing, he knew his experiment was more of a success than he could have ever hoped. While Makoto had been (very) responsive before, she had been content with him taking the lead for the most part, but Queen took control in a way that was like nothing he had ever experienced. As incredible as the sex already was, Queen On Top was an overwhelming fire that left him utterly astonished every time. It certainly didn’t hurt that Makoto was noticeably more relaxed, calm and happy after the outlet of aggression and tension.

Makoto’s trip to Inaba had expanded their repertoire dramatically, and he was both incredibly pleased to see her beginning to more confidently explore and experiment with her own desires, and absolutely mindblown at how incredible everything they tried felt. It had been tough going back to life without her there between her return to Tokyo and his, but he rode the swell of frustrated anticipation towards the tremendous crash of satisfaction he knew their reunion would be. As much as he wanted this resolution from the moment he laid eyes on her again, spending the day with her in soft touches and brief kisses had built up a charge of desire between them that was finally drawing to its inevitable, ecstatic release as they took the last few steps together into his room.

They didn’t so much make it to his bed as fell into it in the middle of a long, deep kiss, the first fully uninhibited contact between their lips since his return. As fingertips and lips and tongues got reacquainted with the memorized contours of one another’s bodies, they felt a tantalizing tension between wanting everything all at once and wanting everything to last forever. Akira only drew his lips back from Makoto’s for a moment as he slipped her Buchimaru pajama top over her head and drew his fingers in a light, adoring line across her skin. Another momentary break of contact as she pulled off his shirt and ran her fingernails across his chest. A fluid roll and he was on top with a smirk, before drawing his lips along her neck, beginning his rapturous journey down her body.

Blissful sighs from Makoto as he kissed from her shoulder down to her breasts let him know clearly that she missed his touch just as much as he missed hers, as her arms tightened around him, her hand coming up to tangle in his hair and draw him down, gently but insistently, towards the main event. It was still hard to believe, even with as often as he had done this, just how amazing she tasted, and how good her fingers tightening with mounting intensity in his hair felt. She had been desperately wanting this for three weeks, and it wasn’t long before an ecstatic gasp and a powerful tensing of her whole body, followed by an especially blissful sigh as she relaxed, signaled that she had climaxed. He pulled back and slid up to face her with an adoring smile.

She slowly opened her eyes, glowing with a haze of pleasure and love, and pulled him into a passionate, ecstatic kiss. Then, with a fluid roll, she was on top with a smirk, the fire in her eyes indicating that Queen had arrived, and it was Akira’s turn. She rose up just long enough to get his pajama pants off, before straddling his lap, leaning down to give him a deep Queen kiss as she guided him into her and lowered herself down onto him. She ground her hips against him in a rhythm at once comfortably familiar and endlessly enthralling, slow enough for them to take their time but fast enough to show him exactly how much she had wanted him. He responded in kind, bucking up into her in perfect sync with her movements, one arm wrapped around her back as the other hand gave her butt an affectionate squeeze. God he had missed this. He had missed her.

Finally able to enjoy each other again, they were in no rush, riding the line between the desire for release and desire for more. Akira’s stamina training was paying off, and after she came several times, Makoto rolled off of him onto her back with a very satisfied sigh, inviting him to change things up and get on top. He was more than happy to oblige, pressing their bodies close as her arms and legs wrapped around him, starting out slow to let her cool down a bit from her last climax, gradually building up to an ecstatic crescendo that brought her to one final, glorious orgasm as he released into her. He rolled off onto his side next to her, both of them quite spent and tremendously satisfied, and she rolled onto her side to face him, lightly draping an arm over his side and leaning in for a tired but very happy kiss. They lay panting and sighing and basking in each other’s adoration for a long moment before getting up on shaky legs to clean up and get ready for bed.

Akira lay awake, staring up at the ceiling and listening to Makoto’s gentle breathing. While everything about his return had been amazing, one thing troubled him. He wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about the distance that life was starting to put between the Thieves. He was happy to see all of them having their own lives and goals, but he wanted them to remain together as a close friend group, which was beginning to feel less likely without some unifying mission. Was it even his place to push them in that direction? He still felt like their leader, but he had to get used to the idea that they were no longer a supernatural vigilante group, and didn’t exactly need a leader anymore.

Sensing his tension, Makoto’s fingers tightened on his pajama shirt as she stirred and opened her eyes a bit, giving him a concerned frown when she saw he was still awake. “What’s wrong?”

He gave her an apologetic, halfhearted smile and leaned over to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Sorry, just thinking about whether the Thieves will be able to stay together now that we all have our own lives and don’t have the Metaverse making us work together.”

She gave him an understanding nod and pulled herself up to give him a sleepy kiss on the cheek. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that too.” She sighed and shook her head with a frown. “Honestly, I wish I had done a better job keeping them together in your absence.”

He smiled and tilted her chin up to give her a soft, loving kiss. “You did amazing. I can’t express how happy I am that you’ve been spending time with everyone. I’m not even sure I should be trying to force us to stick together when they all have their own things going on.”

She giggled and booped him on the nose. “Then ask them how they feel about it. I assume you’ll be joining Ryuji and me on our jog tomorrow, so talk to him then.”

He gave her a pleased but somewhat surprised smile. “You’ve been running with Ryuji?”

She nodded and gave him a playful smirk. “Where do you think I got the idea?”


	6. Reveille

Akira awoke to Makoto nestling deeper into his embrace, signaling she was awake (a vastly preferable alarm to Morgana batting at his face to wake him up). He smiled, tightened his arm comfortably at her waist, and nuzzled the back of her neck affectionately. “Good morning.”

She let out an appreciative hum of agreement and rolled over to face him, wrapping an arm around him and pulling them into a combination hug and stretch as she let out a relaxed sigh. “The best kind of morning.”

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and shared a slightly drowsy but tremendously happy smile with her, then tilted her chin up for a relaxed, comfortable, and very affectionate good morning kiss. “Without a doubt.”

They had about a half hour before breakfast at Leblanc, and Akira and Makoto were content to cuddle for a while, warm and incomparably comfortable in Akira’s bed (which had passed all structural integrity tests with flying colors). 

Eventually, they got up, stretched, and changed (Makoto, being one to plan ahead, had packed fresh clothes, as well as her workout gear for their jog with Ryuji, and a spare pair of pajamas to leave in Akira’s dresser for just such occasions). 

As they brushed their teeth, they were joined by a very sleepy looking Futaba, who gave Akira a very sleepy glare. “I don’t know how you put up with that cat. I don’t even have school for another two weeks. Why do I have to wake up early?”

Akira rolled his eyes in commiseration, and Makoto spat out her toothpaste and turned to face Futaba with a very Big Sister smile. “Getting onto a regular sleep schedule will be good for you, Futaba. Staying up until dawn and then sleeping until the afternoon isn’t exactly healthy.”

Futaba threw a sleepy, grumpy salute and grumbled. “Yes, Queen.”

The three sat at the bar in Leblanc, enjoying coffee and curry as they watched the news (well, Akira, Makoto, and Sojiro watched the news, while Futaba read it on her phone). Futaba, having had a little time to wake up and get some fuel into her, had perked up significantly, and was exacting revenge on Morgana for waking her up by aggressively tickling his cheeks with her free hand.

The case against Masayoshi Shido was grinding on, in spite of his party’s continued attempts to stonewall the entire process. They had initially attempted to sequester him, against his own will, with the official rationale that the attack by the Phantom Thieves had caused severe psychological damage that rendered him incapable of testifying or making any kind of public appearance.

Akira’s testimony had been quickly picked up in the Diet by Toranosuke Yoshida’s faction, and broadcast to the public by Ohya’s paper, leading to calls not only for Shido’s removal and arrest, but for a much farther reaching investigation into his political and business associates. Said associates, predictably, decried any such action as a partisan witch hunt intended to overthrow a duly elected government, as loudly and often as possible on media platforms friendly to them. 

When independent psychologists determined Shido was mentally sound to testify in his own case, it became evident why his partners had so desperately resisted his appearance, as his entire inner circle was implicated by his own words in the Mental Shutdown cases, leading to widespread upheaval across the political and corporate landscape. They claimed false memories implanted by the Thieves, but all prior targets had been found to have committed the crimes they confessed.

While Akira, Makoto, and Futaba were all certainly invested in the social change they had instigated, there was a bit of a comfortable distance in not having to directly intervene in the messy political situation. Their part was done, and they could enjoy their breakfast in peace, satisfied that they had done more than they could have imagined to fight against structural abuse of power.

Which isn’t to say they weren’t all still personally invested in the outcome. With much of the upper echelons at the SIU implicated as co-conspirators, Sae had taken on the mantle of chief prosecutor in the case, and Makoto was initially very concerned that some of Shido’s accomplices might make an attempt on her life. As the months wore on, that fear faded, as Shido’s faction seemed to have little to offer beyond baseless, and often blatantly misogynistic, attacks on her character, which convinced no one who wasn’t already part of the remnants of Shido’s cult of personality. Among the broader population, her steely and unflappable pursuit of Justice had made her something of a household name, and Makoto was tremendously proud of her big sister.

Futaba, whose dedication to the principle of Truth rivaled Makoto’s drive for Justice, found the propaganda Shido’s defenders spewed on a daily basis beyond repugnant. While she still hated Shido for what he did to her mother, they had reformed him, and now he was trying to undo as much of the damage he had done as he could. Her strongest disdain now was for his cronies, who continued his legacy of deceit and corruption to hold onto the illicit power they had seized under him. She made a sound of absolute disgust as she read about the latest Big Lie being parroted by Shido’s allies in government and media. “Slimy, spineless, scumbag weasels!” (It was only the presence of Sojiro and Makoto that prevented her from using much more colorful language)

Sojiro nodded with a weary grunt of agreement. “That’s why I got out of government work. Some amoral bastard claws his way to the top on the backs of the people, then he fills the party with worthless toadies eager to lick his boots for proximity to power.” He turned to Akira with a smirk. “I’m telling you, kid, it’s dirty business. I don’t know why a smart, principled guy like you would want to hop in that cesspool.”

Akira shrugged as he sipped his coffee, then let out a sigh. “Someone’s got to fight it. If we leave politics to the amoral bastards of the world, then all we’ll get is more amoral bastards.” Sojiro replied with a noncommittal grunt but an approving smile. The ongoing, slow-motion downfall of Shido’s faction had led to a skyrocket in popularity for Toranosuke Yoshida, who had campaigned against exactly the type of cronyism and corruption that now engulfed his most powerful opposition in a neverending maelstrom of scandal. Now that he was back in Tokyo, Akira was looking forward to aiding Old Man Tora in leveraging his newfound profile into electoral victories. As he savored another bite of curry, Akira added Yoshida to the mental list of Confidants he should spend time with when he could.

After breakfast, Akira and Makoto changed into their workout clothes (a bit more modest than what they had worn for this purpose in Inaba), and made their way to Inokashira Park to meet up with Ryuji (Futaba had zero interest in joining them for a run). It wasn’t exactly difficult to spot his bleached blonde hair as he stretched out his hamstrings on a bench, and he gave them an enthusiastic wave as he noticed their approach. “Yo! Hope you didn’t get slow without me pushing you, ‘cause I’m all fired up.”

Akira shrugged with a grin, and Makoto gave the two of them a playful smirk. “Hopefully I can keep up with you two.”

Makoto could, in fact, keep up. Finding in her addition of jogging to her regular workout routine a way both to keep in touch with Ryuji and to share in Akira’s interests, she had approached the task with the determination and diligence with which she approached most things, and her form had improved exponentially since her memorable introduction to Rain Jogging. As the three of them took off at a brisk pace, Akira couldn’t help but appreciate the smooth, graceful flow of her body, and found himself needing to focus on his own form to prevent an embarrassing reaction that his shorts would have difficulty concealing.

As they settled into their stride, Akira glanced over at Ryuji and broached the subject that had been on his mind. “So, I’m thinking of trying to find some kind of project for us all to do as a group. I’m worried we won’t stay as close as we were without something keeping us working together.”

Ryuji nodded without breaking his stride. “For real? Hell yeah! I know we all got our own stuff goin’ on, but, y’know, I miss us all gettin’ together back when we were, y’know...” 

Akira noted, with an approving smile, that Ryuji had gotten much better about talking/shouting about being a Phantom Thief. A bit late, maybe, but still appreciated. “Glad to hear it. I wanted to see how everyone feels about it. I didn’t want to just call a meeting, since I’m not exactly the leader anymore.”

Ryuji shook his head with a laugh. “Eff that, you’ll always be our leader, with or without the Metaverse. We all trust you two to be the smart ones who keep it together. So, what’re you thinkin’ for the crew?”

Makoto glanced across Akira at him. “Perhaps we could do some group self-defense training.”

Ryuji’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “No thanks. Akira might get off on it, but I can do without gettin’ thrown around like a training dummy. Besides, I’m kinda fought out. That ain’t me, y’know? I mean, I’ll punch some scumbag in the face if I gotta, but I don’t really wanna.”

Akira shrugged and glanced over at Makoto, who looked a bit disappointed at Ryuji’s disinterest. “Maybe Haru would be interested in training with us. She always seemed to enjoy combat.”

Makoto brightened up and nodded with a grateful smile. “That’s an excellent idea. We should bring it up with her the next time we see her.” Her expression became thoughtful. “But I’m at a bit of a loss as far as something that everyone would enjoy.”

Ryuji shrugged and gave her a grin. “Hey, you’ll figure somethin’ out. Like I said, you guys are the smart ones.” With a final reassuring grin for them, he shifted his focus forward and increased his speed, challenging them to keep up.

After a good, long run, the three of them shook out their limbs as they cooled down by the river. Ryuji, with an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression, clapped Akira on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t beat yourself up tryin’ to figure us out. No rush, right?”

Makoto nodded, breathing a bit heavily. “True, there’s no deadline this time, so we have plenty of time to discuss with everyone. For now, perhaps we should arrange some sort of outing. I was reluctant to make any major plans while you were away.” She gave Akira an affectionate smile. “It just wouldn’t feel right without you, but I think now would be a perfect time for us all to make some memories together. Maybe a movie, although I’m not sure what would appeal to everyone’s disparate tastes.”

Ryuji perked up and gave her an eager grin. “Beach?”

Makoto brought a finger to her chin in thought, giving Ryuji a pleased smile. “That could work. It’s been almost a year since our last beach trip with the whole group, although Haru wasn’t with us yet at that point. We could go for our anniversary, both to remember everything we’ve accomplished together and to inaugurate our new lives.”

Akira nodded with an approving hum. “Sounds like a plan. We’ll check around for how everyone feels about it, and when they’d be free.”

While Ryuji had to head to Protein Lovers to teach some beginners about cardio, Akira and Makoto made their way back to the Sakura house for a shower (at this point, it kind of goes without saying it was together) before meeting up for lunch with Ann and Shiho (although Ann’s idea of “lunch” could perhaps be more accurately described as “midday dessert”).


	7. Crêpes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Shiho Suzui.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, Ann beaming smugly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TOOjsvDNJg

Ann hopped up and waved excitedly as Akira and Makoto entered the crêperie for their lunch date, then leaned over and whispered something to Shiho, who blushed and shushed her with a bright smile and a hushed giggle. 

Akira hadn't seen Shiho since she had changed schools, and while she had mostly recovered physically at their last meeting, it was still a sad occasion. It struck him just how different she looked when she was happy, because if there was one word to describe Shiho Suzui at that moment, happy was it. Her soft brown eyes and gentle smile radiated warmth and comfort and a tremendous affection for Ann.

As Ann sat back down beside her, Shiho playfully nudged her shoulder, and their hands met under the table. Akira and Makoto smiled with friendly nods hello and joined the couple at the table. Shiho gave them both a warm smile, then began to giggle again. "You're right, Ann. They do match. It's like they were made for each other."

Akira and Makoto were wearing their typical summer attire, with Akira sporting one of his white button shirts over a black tee and blue jeans, while Makoto wore one of her simple white dress blouses over black capris, with a thin black belt angled over her hips. Confused, they turned to look at one another, examining their respective wardrobes for a moment before Akira tapped a finger to his chin. "Huh, I guess we do match."

Ann burst out laughing. "Oh my god, you seriously never noticed?! You look like you coordinate your outfits like every day and it's literally the cutest thing!" She turned and buried her face in Shiho's shoulder as she struggled to contain herself. "You should see them in the winter. Makoto has this gorgeous teal coat and black pants, and Akira always wears a black blazer and jeans." Close to tears, she laid her head on the table and gasped through her laughter. "It's like you go to a tailor for couples!"

Makoto blushed, unsure how to take this revelation. "I suppose we do have somewhat similar aesthetics, and I guess we both like to keep our clothing fairly simple, but honestly I never really gave much thought to my wardrobe."

Ann rolled her eyes and gave Makoto a playfully jealous tap on the shoulder across the table. "Pfft, like you'd have to. You could throw on anything and still be drop dead gorgeous. Shiho's the same way. Natural beauty."

Akira threw up a hand in mock frustration. "That's what I've been trying to say!"

Ann cocked her head at him with an approving smirk. "Well say it more, you dork. Makoto is a beautiful Queen, and you better let her know it if she ever forgets."

Akira affectionately bumped shoulders with Makoto and turned to her with a playful grin. "It's kind of my Life's Mission."

Ann and Shiho both laughed musically at Makoto's deepening blush, then Shiho turned to her with a knowing smile. "I can see why you like him so much, Makoto. Akira is very charming."

Makoto and Shiho had spent a fair bit of time together while Akira was gone, especially as Shiho and Ann's relationship became more serious, and spending time with Ann would more often than not mean spending time with the couple. Both of them compassionate and a bit soft-spoken, the two had become fast friends, much to Ann's delight. After a short-lived attempt by Ann to start working out, Makoto and Shiho continued to be gym buddies, and Shiho had heard A Lot about Makoto's Amazing Boyfriend during their workouts together.

Ann rolled her eyes and giggled in Akira's general direction. "Oh, he's a real Casanova. Makoto's as lucky as he is. She found a guy who knows how to treat a lady, and appreciates how amazing she is. Plus, he's a Total Cutie."

Makoto gave Akira a playful smirk as his own cheeks began to heat up, and subtly slid her hand under the table to meet his as they turned their attention to the menus.

"Sherioushly, how diju bof get shuch perfec buttsh?"

Ann immediately got down to the business of indulging her sweet tooth with an impressive strawberry cheesecake crêpe, which she was devouring with gusto. Makoto and Shiho were both more carnivorous in their tastes, and opted to start with savory crêpes involving smoked salmon, baby spinach, and hollandaise sauce. After careful consideration, Akira settled on one with mozzarella, pesto, and prosciutto. The coffee wasn't Leblanc Good, but it was good, with a respectable selection of beans and blends.

Makoto looked up from enjoying her salmon crêpe and raised an eyebrow at Ann, then shared a look with Shiho, then shrugged. "A lot of low horse stance training, I guess."

Shiho nodded in agreement. "Pretty much. Loads of squats. Squats on squats."

Ann swallowed the mouthful of sugary crêpe and let out a groan of despair. "That's what I was afraid of."

Shiho rolled her eyes with a giggle and playfully poked Ann's side. "When you look like this on the All Crêpe Diet, I don't think you have much room to complain, Ann."

Makoto hummed in agreement and tapped a thoughtful finger to her chin. "You do seem to have the metabolism of a hummingbird."

Shiho laughed and leaned against Ann's shoulder. "Oh, she'd love to eat half her weight in sugar every day." She gave her a subtle, affectionate nuzzle with her cheek. "I guess it takes lots of energy to be such a bright ray of sunshine."

Ann rolled her eyes as she leaned appreciatively into Shiho's affection. "Well I can't just rely on my metabolism forever." She pumped a fist of Determination as her eyes lit up with Fighting Spirit. "I'm gonna start working out, for real this time!"

Shiho shook her head with a deep sigh. "Ann, you know I love you with all my heart, but didn't you start working out 'for real this time' last week? And the week before that?"

Ann turned to Shiho with a scandalized pout. "Well you two are both way too hard on me. Especially distaff Bruce Lee over there." She shook her head at Makoto, with a hint of fear for her prowess. "I seriously don't know how Akira handles you."

Akira laughed and rolled his eyes. "Mostly I just get my ass kicked by her, but I try to at least put up a fight."

Ann beamed smugly at him. "Yeah, but don't you even try to pretend you don't love it."

Akira gave her an extemely innocent look and sipped his coffee. "I never said anything about not loving it."

For dessert (or dessert's dessert in Ann's case), Makoto and Akira split a wild berry and Nutella crêpe, while Ann and Shiho shared a chocolate, chocolate, chocolate, and chocolate. As they savored their sweet treats, Shiho got a shade more serious, glanced thoughtfully at Ann, then gave Makoto and Akira an expectant, questioning look, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, you two are Phantom Thieves, right?"

Both their eyes went wide, and they quickly shared a wordless conference regarding what exactly they should do in this situation. Ann gave them a sheepish grin. "I kinda told Shiho that I was, when we started getting serious. It didn't feel right to keep it from her if we were gonna... you know."

Shiho rolled her eyes with a giggle and affectionately bumped Ann with her shoulder. "I figured out way before you told me, Ann, but you thought you were doing such a good job keeping the secret, I just couldn't bring myself to burst your bubble."

Ann drooped slightly with a disappointed sigh. "For real?"

Akira and Makoto shared a look and shrugged, then Makoto turned with a nod to Shiho, speaking quietly but with the conviction of Queen. "We were." She tilted her head towards Akira. "Joker was our founding member and leader."

Ann gave Makoto a knowing smirk. "Yeah, but once you joined, you two were totally the Leadership Committee."

Makoto began to protest the idea, but Akira nodded in agreement and leaned a bit closer to her. "Pretty much. Queen was ostensibly our advisor, but she led up most of our strategy and planning. I don't think she ever gave me a recommendation I disagreed with, but if she did, I would trust her judgment over my own."

Ann grinned smugly at Akira. "Oh, and before you ask, yes he totally named her Queen. I knew right away they were gonna end up hooking up."

Makoto raised an eyebrow at Ann and tapped her chin. "But we didn't begin dating for months after that."

Ann shook her head at her and laughed. "Yeah, but you were aaaalways gonna. God, you should have seen them when they both had The World's Biggest Crush on each other, and both of them thought it was too good to be true that the other felt the same way. It was adorable, but I wanted you to just get together soooo baaaad."

She leaned across the table with an enormously pleased grin at Makoto. "When we were in Hawaii I asked him and Ryuji what kind of girls they liked, and Akira might as well have said 'I like girls named Makoto Niijima, with beautiful crimson eyes and nuclear motorcycles.'" 

Akira chuckled as Makoto nuzzled affectionately into him. "Well, that isn't exactly what I said, but the sentiment is accurate."

When she finished giggling at how impossibly cute the two of them were, Shiho straightened her face and gave them a grateful bow. "Then from the bottom of my heart, thank you so, so much. You gave me the chance to take my own life back. Knowing that he had faced Justice, and that there was someone out there actually fighting other monsters like him, meant more to me than I could ever tell you."

Makoto shook her head solemnly and nodded at Akira. "It's Akira you should thank, along with Ann and Ryuji. I didn't even know about what was going on at the time, although I wish that I had known, and had acted sooner."

Shiho shook her head seriously, her eyes downcast. "They were using you, the same as me. You just had the strength to fight back. I wish I could have joined you, could have been strong like that."

Makoto reached across the table and rested her hand gently on Shiho's, giving her a serious and genuine look. "You're tremendously strong, Shiho. I think you would have made a wonderful Phantom Thief."

Shiho glanced up at her with a blush and a sheepish smile. "You know, it's a little intimidating being friends with your heroes like this. Let alone dating one of them."

Akira cast an affectionate glance at Makoto before turning to Shiho with an approachable grin. "You get used to it."

Makoto giggled and rolled her eyes, before giving him a quick but sweet peck on the cheek. "I suppose you do."

While Akira made it through lunch just fine, as he and Makoto made their way back to the station, he began to get choked up, struggling not to tear up in a very public and rather awkward place. Immediately sensing his distress, Makoto put a gentle hand on his arm. "Akira, what's wrong?"

Akira glanced over at her with a sheepish, apologetic smile, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry. It's just... seeing Shiho like that really hit home everything we did, and why we did it. I'm fine, it's just kind of a lot to take in."

Makoto stopped and turned him to face her with a proud, loving smile. "Akira, you don't ever need to apologize for having emotions." She pulled him into a warm embrace, running her hands slowly and comfortingly up and down his back. "Your feelings are a part of you and they're beautiful. I love them, I love you, and I love that you can share them with me. Always." She brought a hand up from his back to affectionately brush his cheek, and stood on her toes to give him a soft kiss. "You don't ever need to hide how you feel from me. Understood?"

With an adoring smile, he leaned down to give her an appreciative kiss in return. "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

Makoto giggled and rolled her eyes. "Well, for starters, you put a rapist and a sex trafficker in prison, saved Japan from rule through psychic assassinations, and averted a calamity that threatened the very nature of reality."

Akira brushed her cheek with a playful, affectionate smile. "So I'm getting there, but I still have my work cut out for me."


	8. Night Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, sirs and madams. Welcome to Crossroads. How may I serve you?

After lunch, Sojiro wanted Akira's help at Leblanc, and Makoto wanted to further prepare for the upcominig semester at the university library, so with a fond kiss farewell and a promise from Makoto to return to Yongen Jaya after her shift at Crossroads that evening, the two parted ways. As soon as Makoto was out of earshot, Akira pulled out his phone with a grin. "Hey, Lala-chan! Guess who's back in Tokyo! I was wondering if you could use some extra help tonight. Yes, I know she's on. Yes, that's why I'm asking. Thanks!"

Makoto had started working at Crossroads at Akira's suggestion that it both paid the best and was generally the most interesting of his numerous part-time jobs (he really enjoyed working at Rafflesia too, but she couldn't exactly see herself working with flowers). While her scholarships covered all of her school-related expenses, she usually wanted to buy materials beyond the syllabus, and overall wanted to be more independent, and take some of the burden off of Sis. She also hoped that meeting people from different walks of life would help her expand her horizons, as Akira described the job as consisting largely of listening to people talk about their lives and vent about their problems. 

When she walked in to enquire about employment, Lala-chan had greeted her with an enormous grin. Apparently, Akira was a sterling reference, and she was hired on the spot.

For the most part, she found herself in agreement with Akira's assessment of tending bar at Crossroads. Although she felt rather sad for a few patrons who seemed to be trying to solve their problems with alcohol, most of the clientele were ordinary people just coming in to relax with a few drinks and chat with her and Lala-chan. She was more than happy to lend a sympathetic ear if they needed to vent, and was always ready with any sage advice she could think of, giving her a bit of a reputation as a bartender-cum-philosopher, which Lala-chan loved to tease her about.

Lala Escargot herself was a delight to work with, very funny and very sweet, but good lord did she ever love teasing Makoto, especially about Akira. Evidently, she had heard from him how cute Makoto was when she blushed, and having found this to be true, was always happy to give her a little gentle ribbing, always in a friendly and complimentary way. Makoto was pretty used to this sort of thing from Akira, and honestly the chance to gossip about him with her more than made up for the occasional slight embarrassment.

Of course, there were occasional troublemakers and belligerent drunks, but nothing Makoto couldn't handle. Lala-chan often joked that she hired a bartender and got a bouncer. She got her fair share of wandering eyes too, but part of Lala-chan's ulterior motive for talking about Akira with her so much was to make it perfectly clear that she was both Very Much Taken and entirely happy in her current relationship, thank you very much. For the most part, the patrons either respected that or recognized she was entirely uninterested in anyone other than Akira, especially after seeing what she did to the troublemakers and belligerent drunks.

Makoto had a special spring in her step as she made her way through Shinjuku to Crossroads. Akira's return was going wonderfully, and they were already beginning new plans. He had finally gotten to meet Shiho, and after Makoto's shift she would be spending the night with him again (she was especially pleased about that last part).

Things couldn't realistically be going much better as she opened the door to Crossroads with a bright "good evening, Lala-chan!" only to find Akira standing behind the bar in his apron, washing a glass with an innocent expression and chatting idly with Lala. 

Noticing Makoto enter, he gave her a bright smile and a welcoming bow. "Good evening, ma'am. Welcome to Crossroads. I'm afraid we can't serve you alcohol if you're under twenty, but if you'd like tea or coffee it would be my pleasure to serve you."

Makoto shook her head with a deep sigh of amused exasperation as she walked around the bar and gave him a quick kiss before grabbing a towel and joining him at the glasses. "I'm honestly shocked that I never saw it coming."

Lala-chan chuckled and gave her a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Sorry, Mako-chan, but I just couldn't resist seeing the two lovebirds back together in the nest they hatched from. And Aki-kun tells me that you two have plenty of experience working together."

Akira's grin softened into the more serious smile he always gave Makoto when gauging her comfort level with one of his shenanigans. "If it's alright with you, that is."

Makoto laughed and gave him a tremendously pleased grin that let him know that it was very much alright with her.

As it turned out, Lala-chan could actually use the extra help that evening, as a nearby convention that weekend soon had the bar packed well past the usual. As they got down to business, Makoto found working alongside Akira tremendously enjoyable, their extensive practice functioning as a team serving them well as they effortlessly flowed around one another with a satisfying sense of shared purpose. Both took their jobs quite seriously and knew exactly what they were doing, and they naturally delegated tasks efficiently between them to a degree Lala found both impressive and adorable.

While Makoto had no intention of giving up her plans to become a police commissioner, she could imagine someday operating a cafe with Akira, maybe when they were semi-retired. He could certainly cover the coffee and curry, and while Sis had always been somewhat... measured in her compliments to Makoto's cooking, both Akira and Futaba were wholehearted in their praise of her culinary abilities, and she Especially enjoyed cooking with him. Both the thought and the realization that she had zero doubt that they would still be together in their old age brought her a wonderfully comfortable warmth.

Akira and Lala-chan were unsurprisingly intent on working together to tease her, but Lala was every bit as happy to assist her in teasing him right back (or to enlist her assistance in doing so herself), leading to a pleasantly spicy dynamic between the three of them. Mostly, Lala was just absolutely delighted with what an adorable couple they were, and enormously proud that they had confessed their feelings in that very bar nearly a year ago. As their relationship traced its official origin to her establishment, she saw herself as a bit of a mother figure to both of them, and was fully invested in their success.

For his part, Akira absolutely loved seeing Makoto at work, particularly her easy rapport with the patrons. He knew better than anyone just how important opening up and broadening her horizons was to her. Seeing the change in her, from being a little bit stiff and uncomfortable when they first met to comfortably chatting with dozens of people from different walks of life, was tremendously satisfying. He found the way she effortlessly remembered the name and favorite drink of every regular especially fitting, and especially charming (he imagined Queen shouting "this one's strong, and gin won't work!" and fought very hard not to laugh out loud).

As he smiled to himself about her, a handsome young man he was serving tapped his hand lightly on Akira's, giving him a charming smile. "Hey, I'm in town for the weekend, and I could really use someone to show me around."

Akira shook his head politely, then nodded towards Makoto. "Flattered, but taken."

Makoto, sensing his eyes, glanced over with a bright smile and blew him a quick kiss before returning to work. The young man beamed at him. "Oh, you two?! Congratulations, you're adorable together! Cheers to both your happiness!"

"Ugh, my phone." Akira heaved an annoyed sigh as his hand reached into his conspicuously empty pocket, as he and Makoto made their way back to the station after their shift. He turned to her with an apologetic frown. "Left it at the bar. I'll just be a minute." Makoto gave him an understanding nod, and he dashed back towards Crossroads.

As she waited, Makoto sensed a hostile presence. Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly turned her head to find a clearly intoxicated middle-aged businessman glaring at her. The drunk momentarily paused at the unexpected force of her own glare, then worked up his courage enough to angrily address her. "You're that prosecutor, Niijima's sister, right?"

Her relationship to Sae was not public knowledge. Makoto turned to face the drunk, the full intensity of her eyes once again leaving him momentarily shaken before continuing. "That bitch has been lying about Prime Minister Shido for months now, and it's about time someone sent her a message we won't put up with it anymore."

He reached into his pocket, and Makoto immediately recognized the flash of a knife blade.

Several things happened in very quick succession.

Makoto's fist collided with her assailant's throat before the hand holding the knife was past his shoulder. Not hard enough to fatally collapse his trachea, but plenty hard enough to leave him grasping at his neck as he struggled to breathe. At the same time, her left palm hit his wrist, knocking the knife from his hand and sending it clattering across the sidewalk. Less than half a second after that, her heel crashed into the side of his knee, sending him sprawling to the ground. Immediately she was on his back, pinning his arms with her knees as she stretched his neck up with her hands under his chin.

She could have easily killed him. One quick twist of his chin up and to the side could snap his neck. For a moment, as her eyes burned into the back of his head, she wanted to kill him more than anything. Not only had he attacked her. He had threatened Sis.

She let out a deep breath and slammed his face to the pavement, pinning his shoulders with one arm as she fished her phone from her bag. She first called the police, apprising them of the situation and requesting assistance. She then called Akira with the same message. Then Sis, to warn her. After thinking for a moment, she searched the man's pockets for his wallet, found his license, and snapped a picture on her phone, sending it to Futaba with a request to find out whatever she could about the man and his associations.

Akira arrived first, at a full sprint, with a look in his eyes that said he would stop or slow down for no force in heaven or on earth. He immediately moved to assist Makoto, who transferred the pin to him, allowing her to stand and calm her heartrate. She knew exactly how strong Akira was, and the drunk didn't seem trained. He would have no difficulty maintaining the hold. She quickly moved to where the knife lay, ensuring the evidence was not tampered with. 

The police and Sae arrived at the same time not long after. The police briefly questioned Makoto, who relayed exactly what was said, took the knife into evidence, and hauled off the drunk. While Sae wanted her to return home immediately, Makoto insisted that she would stay with Akira, and the force of Queen amped up on adrenaline after beating the shit out of a drunk with a knife was more than even Sae could withstand. With a deep sigh she relented, and instead offered to drive both of them back to Yongen Jaya.

In the back seat of Sae's car, Makoto glared at her phone, poring through the information Futaba had sent her so far. The man initially seemed entirely nondescript. No prior criminal activity, but very active in pro-Shido social media. What they had yet to determine was how information about Sae and Makoto's relationship had been leaked to the public. The most probable culprit was someone within the SIU loyal to Shido, but it could take time to uncover them.

Akira sat silently next to Makoto, shaking and feeling like he was about to vomit. Makoto glanced up from her phone. Finding him clearly distraught, she rested a comforting hand on his thigh. "Akira, you're pale. I'm fine, really. Thank you for helping, by the way."

Akira shook his head and turned to her with a harrowed expression. "You were attacked, and I wasn't there."

She snuggled closer to him and gave him a gentle kiss. "I can take care of myself, Akira. I have to be able to, if I'm going into law enforcement." She smirked and tapped her fingers playfully on his chest. "You don't think I only practice martial arts to have a nice butt, do you?" Akira's attempt at chuckling at her attempt at levity wasn't very convincing, and she gave him a more serious look. "I know that you worry, and I appreciate that you always want us to fight side by side, but every time you've trained with me has helped make me a person who can protect herself, and hopefully protect others. So thank you."

Akira managed a shaky smile and held her closer. "I guess it's such a nice butt, sometimes I forget there are other reasons to get beat up by you."

As Makoto giggled and nuzzled his cheek affectionately, Sae glared at them in the rear-view mirror and grumbled at the discussion of her little sister's butt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Presented without comment, "How to Use Cum Correctly": https://grammarist.com/usage/cum/


	9. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you'll be my bodyguard  
I can be your long lost pal

"Oooh GOD YES! FUCK my ass, Joker! MmmmMMMmm, AaaaAAKKIIRRAAaa!"

Futaba's eyes shot open in shock, and she turned in horror from the pages of information on Makoto's attacker to the monitor showing activity on her various bugs. She quickly shut off the feed from Leblanc's attic, before Queen's continued moans could wake up Morgana, and sank back into her seat, staring blankly ahead of her. For as much as Information was kinda Her Thing, there were some things she really didn't want to know. She slowly shook her head and whispered to herself. "Queen's gonna fucking kill me."

A combination of the aftereffects of a massive adrenaline spike and her brief brush with her own mortality had put Makoto in a pretty excited mood, and wanting to Enjoy Life to the Fullest. Akira took a bit more comforting and a shower before he fully calmed down, but she was soon enough able to convince him that the best way to reaffirm that she was alive and (for the moment at least) safe, was to celebrate each other's continued physical presence. In the end, the pleading flames in Queen's eyes and the knowledge that she had just effortlessly disarmed, disabled, and pinned an armed attacker were enough to have him nearly as enthusiastic as she was.

For as intense as it often was, Queen and Joker's activities were mostly surprisingly discreet. Maybe it was because they were both thieves, but the two could convey the depths of desire and the heights of ecstacy in intimate, nearly inaudible gasps and sighs and hums and grunts intended exclusively for one another's ears. There was never any conscious decision or attempt to do so, but both of them found that it heightened the intimacy and closeness in a very satisfactory way. More impressive, perhaps, was Queen's almost supernatural ability to move in such a way that even the most intense Queen On Top caused practically no noise from their bed (a badass, sexy ninja, as Chie would say).

The one exception to this rule was anal, which had a bit of a peculiar effect on Queen. Also a bit of a loud effect. Anything beyond the gentlest activity at The Back Entrance quickly had her unable to resist the urge to scream out the depth and intensity of her enjoyment to Akira, which was a bit of a problem when they were down the hall from his parents, and was a bit of a problem now that they were down the hall from Futaba and Morgana. Fortunately, Sojiro had given Akira the spare key to Leblanc (with a smug, knowing smirk), meaning that after closing they had access to the attic lovenest where they had made most of their first tentative experiments in intimacy.

In the time Akira was gone, however, Futaba had found another use for Leblanc's attic, as a nearly perfect testing ground to fine tune the acoustics on her various recording devices. She usually had one or two on, giving background feeds, mostly out of habit, rarely picking up anything beyond the muffled voices of patrons below. But That One Time, Futaba's surveillance habit got her a mortifying glimpse into another side of her quasi-family that she really could have done without, thank you very much.

Early the next morning, an athletic young woman, a tall, imposing young man, and a calm young nonbinary person stepped off the platform in Yongen-Jaya. 

The tall man turned to the calm nonbinary person. "This is the place, right?"

They nodded and checked the name on their phone. "Correct. We're looking for a Cafe Leblanc in this neighborhood."

The athletic woman pumped an enthusiastic fist. "Well, let's get moving."

Makoto and Akira were brushing their teeth when a very nervous Futaba entered the bathroom, refusing to make eye contact with either of them. "Soooooooooo ummm you might wanna let me know if you guys wanna use the attic, because I miiiiight have a few bugs set up there that you miiiiight want me to turn off beforehand..."

Still brushing her teeth, Makoto turned with wide eyes towards to younger girl, then after a moment rolled her eyes with a deep sigh and turned back to the sink. Futaba sheepishly ventured to glance up at her. "You aren't gonna kill me, are you?"

Makoto spat out her toothpaste and turned back to Futaba. "Of course not. You weren't trying to eavesdrop on us, so there's no reason for me to be angry with you. I suppose that we probably should have anticipated something like this, but what's done is done, and we'll certainly be letting you know to turn off your bugs the next time we use the attic."

Futaba heaved an enormous sigh of relief. "Thanks, Queen. Oh, I've got more about that guy! I can show you over breakfast."

The three of them entered Leblanc to find Chie, Naoto, and Kanji chatting with Sojiro as they enjoyed his signature coffee and curry. Sojiro glanced up at the sound of the door, and nodded in their direction. "Oh, here they are now."

Chie immediately hopped out of her seat and ran over to give Makoto a hearty bearhug. "Hey, Queen! Heard you kicked the shit out of some asshole with a knife last night!"

Naoto calmly stood and gave them a friendly nod. "Indeed, and given that your assailant possessed personal information regarding both of the Niijima sisters that he should not have had access to, potentially implicating a mole within the SIU, the elder Ms. Niijima thought it wise to enlist the assistance of an outside investigator."

Futaba stepped up to Naoto and offered them a respectful handshake. "Question one: what can I get away with 'legally' here?"

Naoto gave Futaba a subtle, approving smirk. "My investigation is working in full cooperation with Ms. Niijima's own, and we have significant leeway in utilizing all available resources."

Futaba gave them a broad, excited grin. "Now THAT'S what I like to hear!"

Makoto turned to Chie, a bit confused. "I suppose that explains Naoto, but what are you doing here, Chie? Not that I'm not thrilled to see you again, but how were you able to get involved in a private investigation?"

Chie gave her a sheepish grin. "Oh, well, I'm, um, kinda... Naoto's partner?"

Naoto gave Chie a fond smile. "When I told her I would be taking a case involving you, Chie was very insistent on coming along. I told Ms. Niijima that in a case like this I prefer to work with police backup, and knew exactly the officer I had in mind. It was a small affair for a high ranking SIU official to secure Chie's temporary transfer."

Kanji shrugged and spoke around a mouthful of curry. "Wouldn' be dhe firs dime."

Chie nodded with a broad smile. "Oh yeah, Naoto and I have worked together tons! If they ever need someone to watch their back in like a spooky warehouse or something, they always know I'm ready, just in case they need a bunch of goons whomped!"

Naoto chuckled quietly. "Indeed, Chie is one of the finest martial artists I've ever seen, and there is no one I would trust more to provide security. Speaking of which, when I informed Ms. Niijima of her qualifications, she was quite interested in having Chie provide police protection for you, Makoto."

Chie turned away bashfully and glanced up at Makoto with a bit of a blush. "So I'm, um, also... kinda your bodyguard? Not that you need it or anything, but strength in numbers, right? Can never be too safe. Oh, speaking of which:" With a flourish, she pulled a collapsible steel baton from her bag, spun it gracefully on her palm, and presented it proudly to Makoto. "Think of it as a little early 'welcome to the force' present from me."

Ryuji really, reeally wished he could have gone for his regular run that morning, instead of staring down the lineup of Makoto, Chie, and Shiho, all in light workout gear, limbering up on the mat. While the sight of the three attractive and athletic young women stretching out in sports bras and compression shorts should have been a joyous occasion, he knew firsthand what fighting either Makoto or Shiho was going to involve, and from the praise Makoto had given her, he really, reeeally didn't want to fight Chie. Still, if Makoto had to worry about getting attacked again, he was going to do everything in his power to ensure her safety. And that meant everyone needed to get serious about defending themselves.

By his side, even Akira had a hint of nervousness behind his look of determination as he regarded the line of dangerous young women. While he was Makoto's regular sparring partner, and had fought her countless times, he could feel the intensity of the fire in her eyes, and knew that this would be a serious workout. On his other side, Kanji calmly rolled his neck and slapped his arms awake. He had been Chie's regular sparring partner for years, and while she was certainly deadly, he was pretty used to her at this point. Off to the side, Naoto calmly stretched their arms and squared off with Ann, who really, reeeeally wished she hadn't just declared her intention to start working out 'for real this time'.

Lucky for Ann, Naoto recognized her inexperience, and preferred to patiently demonstrate some basic locks and throws rather than simply fling her around, which wouldn't have accomplished much. The Shirogane Clan required training in Judo for self defense, and while Naoto wasn't the dedicated fighter Chie and Makoto were, they were capable enough to give Ann a reasonable grasp of the basics.

Ryuji was not so lucky, as Shiho had been training under Makoto. Combined with her general athleticism, the pragmatic blending of Aikido, Judo, kickboxing, and Kenpo Queen taught had already made her a pretty scary opponent. Still way, waaay better than fighting Queen herself, though. Ryuji turned to Akira with a smirk. "Well, nice knowin' ya, buddy."


	10. Fight Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ಠ_ಠ 4do

Akira held back in a fight with Queen exactly once, when they first started training together. Makoto immediately made it clear that not only was that entirely unacceptable, but she also knew very well exactly how good he was, and would know immediately if he wasn't giving her his all. She demanded the best of herself, and expected the best of him in order to force her to become better. 

While throwing full strength, full speed punches at his girlfriend took some getting used to, he also knew very well exactly how good Makoto was, as well as how tough she was. One of the attributes that made Queen such a strong healer was her incredible endurance, and her ability to stay on her feet through the most devastating attacks had been one of the main things that kept all of them alive in the Metaverse. Besides, there was little point in holding back when it took all he had to even try to keep up with her.

While he knew all of this to be true in an abstract sense, when an unexpected feint into a lightning fast cross had his fist connecting with Queen's cheek, hard, knocking her momentarily off balance before she quickly shook her head and snapped back into her stance, everything that Akira knew suddenly vanished from his mind, except for the fact that he had just punched Makoto Niijima, The Love of His Life, right in her perfect face. 

For a moment he just stared blankly at her, before Queen rammed her shoulder into his chest, grabbing his arm and twisting to throw him over her shoulder and onto his back, his arm held up in a wrist lock. As he recovered from the combined shock of punching Queen and landing hard, Makoto smirked down at him, a light bruise beginning to appear on her cheek, and gave his hand an affectionate squeeze before pulling him to his feet. "Your training with Chie has certainly paid off. Your strikes are getting much quicker. But don't let your guard down. And watch how you fall."

"Hey, Queen! You wanna have a go with Kanji for a bit? I wanna do Akira."

Kanji was an interesting opponent. More a street fighter than trained in any particular style, he was big, strong, and fast. Sparring with Chie for years pretty much necessitated the fast part, and he'd gotten quite adept at utilizing his reach to keep her whirlwind roundhouse kick assaults at bay. Makoto's style wasn't in whirlwind assaults, though, preferring to let her opponent come to her, and to redirect their force to her advantage.

Perfectly content to step inside Kanji's long reach as he swung into her, Queen knew the massive man would be a challenge to throw, but his height could be utilized in other ways. As she parried his haymaker with both hands, she slid her leg around to lock her knee behind his, pulling a hand down to his shoulder and shoving forward, using the momentum of his swing to push him off balance, over her leg and onto his back, as her other hand locked his wrist.

Makoto shifted her hand to grab his and helped him to his feet, and Kanji gave her an impressed grin. "Damn Makoto, Chie said you were amazin', and she ain't kiddin'. It's cool how you can do that and it don't even hurt. Your body's just like 'oh, guess I'm goin' over here now'."

Makoto nodded with a gracious smile. "Thank you, Kanji. You're a very impressive fighter yourself. While I've been expanding my training, I've practiced Aikido by far the longest, and a core principle is that if possible one should subdue an opponent with minimal harm. Of course the question then becomes, at what point does what level of harm become justified, and I'll admit I wasn't worrying too much about doing minimal harm last night."

Kanji gave her an approving grin and a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. I know if some punk comes after me or my friends, I'll take 'em right the hell out."

Makoto tapped a thoughtful finger to her chin. "I suppose so. If Akira or Sis were ever attacked, I don't know that I could control myself. But when you know several dozen ways to kill or permanently injure someone with your bare hands, I do feel an ethical duty to consider what level of force is necessary." Her face became very serious. "Even if they attack me, I don't want to kill anyone if I don't absolutely have to."

Chie was scary as hell to fight. Where Makoto's reactive style gave Akira time to think out novel angles of approach (which was necessary, as finding an opening on Queen was basically impossible), Chie was on the attack nonstop, and her kicks were devastating. 

Akira's own fighting was largely adaptive, picking up bits and pieces of everything he encountered and incorporating it into his own freeform, nameless style. Having spent A Lot of time fighting Makoto, and learning Aikido from Makoto, and discussing Aikido with Makoto while they cuddled, he pretty readily adopted some of her ideas, at times putting his own spin on them, alongside a fair bit of Chie's own more aggressive style.

While he couldn't manage some of the almost mystical Zen Mind stuff Queen could pull off, he was very quick, and as he pulled up into a defensive stance, he danced back and around Chie as he parried her feet, forcing her to constantly readjust her planted foot as she hopped forward to get him back into range of her kicks. 

All according to plan. As she landed and shot out another roundhouse kick, he darted forward past her, twisting into a palm strike aimed at the back of her neck as soon as his front foot was behind her. A clever gambit, but too slow, as Chie pivoted and snapped her leg behind her in a back kick that caught him in the gut, knocking him back several feet.

Chie shifted her feet and snapped her stance 180 degrees to face him, still dancing from foot to foot. "Not bad, but once the foot's down, the whole body can move over it."

Akira nodded and winced as he pressed a hand to the sore spot on his abdomen.

Sparring with Shiho wasn't nearly as bad as Ryuji had made it out to be. She was beginning to reach a level of proficiency in her training with Makoto where she had more control over the amount of force she used. Recognizing that Ryuji wasn't exactly thrilled to be there, she was going a little bit easy on him, trying out some of the softer Aikido locks Makoto had shown her.

As Ryuji realized that Shiho was specifically trying not to hurt him, he gave her an appreciative grin. While he still didn't have Akira's weird kink for getting thrown around by Queen, if Shiho needed someone to throw some punches for her to react to, he could handle that. He focused on giving her as close to a realistic speed and form as he could while still pulling back where necessary, since he sure as hell didn't want to hurt her either. The Karate Kids across the mat could have their full contact sparring, he just wanted to help Shiho practice her techniques.

After a while, Shiho pulled Ryuji off to the side of the mat where Naoto was teaching Ann Judo, giving the dedicated brawlers more space to go at each other. Shiho had picked up a bit of Judo from Makoto, but was interested to learn from Naoto, who considered it more of a dedicated style. Naoto was perfectly happy to oblige, and since Ann was already pretty worn out, Shiho took her place as their partner as they demonstrated the principles of motion behind different throws.

Ryuji heaved a sigh of relief as he slumped down onto the mat next to Ann, shaking his head as they watched the four fighters continue to go at it, having switched back to their regular partners. Eventually they were joined by Akira and Kanji, as Makoto and Chie turned their attentions to each other in a terrifyingly impressive dance of death. Akira was pretty clearly done, and collapsed onto his back next to Ryuji as he pressed a cold pack to his shoulder and side. Ryuji raised a doubtful eyebrow at him. "And you're tellin' me you enjoy this?"

Akira shrugged with a laugh and turned his head towards Ryuji without otherwise moving. "Makoto and Chie in one day is a bit much, but still yes."

"Let us first consider probable alternative explanations. Is it possible that Makoto's attacker simply saw her on a social media platform, and correctly deduced her relationship to Ms. Niijima from their surname?"

Naoto, Makoto, and Akira were squeezed together on Futaba's bed, as the hacker pulled up the sum of information she had gathered so far. Futaba shook her head. "Way ahead of you, and that's a big negative. Queen doesn't 'do' social media."

Makoto nodded. "Between Akira, studying, training, and work, I really don't have time for any of that. And there's so much vulgarity online, I'm not sure I'd want to if I could."

Futaba rolled her eyes at Naoto with a 'do you see what I have to deal with?' gesture at Makoto. Naoto nodded and tapped a finger to their chin. "Very well, but could her name have appeared attached to a photo of her posted by someone else?"

Futaba again shook her head. "Checked, and doesn't look like. The Thieves are all pretty careful about that kinda thing. I mean, we did spend a few months as Japan's Most Wanted, so we still try to keep a bit of a low profile on any connections between us."

Akira glanced over at Makoto and they shared a look, then he turned to Futaba. "Eiko?"

Futaba chuckled and shook her head. "First thing I thought, but surprisingly nope. All her pictures with Queen are tagged 'Mako-chan~<3,' so I don't think you'd get the Niijima Connection from her."

Naoto closed their eyes in deep thought for a moment. "Then let us try a different approach. I assume you were able to establish the device of origin for our suspect's public social media posts." Futaba rolled her eyes with a 'duh, obviously' expression, and Naoto nodded. "Would you then be able to track the activity of that device in order to see where else he may have found this information?"

Futaba spun back to her keyboard and began tapping away. "It'll take a little while to scan through, but absolutely."

A little while later, Futaba pointed triumphantly at the screen. "Jackpot!" As she scanned the page, her expression dropped, and she turned to give Makoto a concerned and sympathetic look. "You're not gonna like this though, Queen..."

Naoto stood and stepped closer to examine the evidence. "What is it?"

Futaba turned back to the screen with a look of disgust. "It's 4do."

Makoto raised a confused eyebrow. "What on earth is 4do?"

Futaba shook her head with a glare of pure hatred for the website. "It's like 2ch for ShidoNazis. No surprise, Sae isn't exactly popular in that part of the internet's asshole, and the 'mods' aren't too interested in removing illegal information about their Personal Satan. Sae got doxxed. Big Time."


	11. Nausea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coffee Dad.

"Y'know, you'd be a pretty good fighter if you'd train."

While Team Brain (as Chie called them) met in Futaba's room, Chie, Ryuji, and Kanji went out for some post-workout ramen (Ann and Shiho had a crêpe date). There was a strange sense of familiarity between the three, which Ryuji chalked up to them all having physical attacking Personas. 

Ryuji shook his head and swallowed down a mouthful of ramen. "Nah, that ain't me. Smackin' Shadows with a mace was cool, but fightin' real people in the real world ain't my thing. I'm kinda surprised Akira's so into it, but I guess there ain't much he wouldn't do for Queen. Besides, I'm pretty tough if I ever need to be." He flexed a reasonably impressive bicep with a grin.

Chie scoffed and rolled her eyes with a playful smirk. "Sure, Mr. Big Strong Man, that'll work right up until you run into someone who's just as strong as you and actually knows what they're doing." Her eyes lit up dangerously and she gave him a confident, toothy grin. "Or someone way smaller than you who Really knows what they're doing."

Ryuji held up his hands defensively and quickly shook his head. "Hey, I never said you couldn't totally kick my ass. There's a reason I don't wanna spar with Queen, and it's 'cause I've sparred with Queen. I know what she can do, and I saw what you can do, and I don't need none of that. But I think I could hold my own against some mook on the street."

Kanji shrugged as he pushed away his third empty bowl. "I boxed for a bit, but it never really took me much formal training."

Chie laughed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well you have like a two meter wingspan and there just aren't that many people as strong as you. Also we fight like every other day and you've gotten waaay better."

As Kanji shrugged and started on his fourth bowl, Ryuji gave him an impressed look. "Yeah, dude, you're a total beast. I bet your Persona was effin' nuts."

Chie's eyes lit up as she volunteered an answer for Kanji, whose mouth was full, in an excited whisper. "Oh, yeah! Kanji's Persona was awesome! It was like, I dunno, like a giant skeleton robot luchador or something! And then it transformed into like a giant fiery robot Demon King!"

Ryuji's jaw dropped. "Effin' sick!" He pulled out his phone to find Yusuke's illustrations of their Personas to show Chie and Kanji. "I started out with Captain Kidd. He was, like, a skeleton pirate ridin' a boat like a surfboard, which is pretty cool. Then he turned into Seiten Taisei."

Chie gave him an approving hum as she examined his Personas. "Monkey King, nice!" Her lip curled up into a playful smirk. "Queen totally had the coolest Persona, though."

Ryuji rolled his eyes with a deep sigh. "Dude, you don't gotta tell me." He began to chuckle. "For real, I think Akira Became A Man the first time he saw Queen on Johanna."

(Content Warning: online hate groups, threats of sexual violence)

Makoto's face was pale, and she could feel the bile rising in her throat, as she read the archive of Sae's doxxing thread (Naoto had immediately called Sae to have the page taken down). Even Futaba, who practically lived online, was uncomfortable with the level of hateful vitriol. For Makoto, who rarely used the internet for anything other than research, it was horrifying. Calls for Sis to be killed. For Sis to be raped. For Sis to be raped to death. All of the elaborate forms of torture, mostly sexual in nature, that Sis deserved to be subjected to for daring to challenge The Man who was going to Make Japan Great.

Right at the top were Sae's full personnel files from the SIU, meaning that Makoto's theory of a leak within the agency was almost certainly correct, but it was bitter consolation for the torrent of undiluted evil she was subjected to. As she feared, under 'living relatives' was a single name, hers, and further down the thread were her records from Shujin, complete with her face looking back at her from the screen, leading to a renewed surge of hatred directed not at Sis, but at her. She felt a sickening chill at a photo of her from behind, in the simple black dress she wore at Crossroads, followed by a chorus of suggestions for how Ms. Justice's little sister should be punished for 'whoring it up in Shinjuku' that I'll spare you the details of.

(Content Warning End)

Unable to take any more, Makoto turned from the screen and buried her face in Akira's chest with a wounded whisper. "What the hell? What could make people so... evil? All for some... some fucking politician?"

Akira didn't answer, and Makoto could deduce easily enough that it was because he wouldn't be able to do anything but scream. His heart was racing, his breath sharp, and his muscles were tense. He was as furious as she had ever seen him, but right then she didn't need him to be angry on her behalf. She brought up a hand to rest lightly on his chest, and he softened at her touch, wrapping her in the comforting embrace she needed, the soft kisses he pressed to the top of her head cleansing her of the evil she had witnessed.

With a pained sigh, Futaba took it upon herself to explain online hate groups to Makoto. "So, you know that one 'news' station that's all just 24/7 pro-Shido propaganda? The one the real news stations take clips of the most asinine bullshit they get pro-Shido assholes saying and laugh at it? Well, there are a bunch of assholes who only watch that, and believe all that asinine bullshit. When you get a bunch of assholes who believe asinine bullshit, with a common enemy, Especially A Woman, give them anonymity so there are no consequences for the vile shit they say, and encourage them to be the most extravagantly shitty asshole of the bunch to stand out, you get... well, this."

She laid a sympathetic hand lightly on Makoto's shoulder. "If it's any consolation, they're pretty much all pathetic chickenshits who wouldn't dare look at you or Sae irl, but we already saw that it only takes one delusional asshole with a knife."

Naoto nodded with a frustrated frown. "Unfortunately, the diffuse and anonymous nature of such platforms makes prosecution a complicated affair, as it can be difficult to establish actionable threats." They turned to Futaba. "Can you determine the source of the original post, with Ms. Niijima's personnel files?"

Futaba pointed to another screen. "Already on it, but it could take a while depending on how sophisticated their proxy network is. Since it's coming from the SIU, I'm guessing they probably know what they're doing." She turned to give Naoto a deadly serious look. "Oh, and you might want to look away for a sec, 'cause I'm gonna do some other stuff you're probably not gonna want to be an accessory to."

Taking her hint, all those not wanting to be implicated in potentially felonious online activities left Futaba to her own devices. Makoto needed some air anyway, still feeling sick from what she'd read. Still holding Akira (whose every touch transmitted comforting warmth, which was helping A Lot), they took the short walk to Leblanc with Naoto. 

As Makoto slumped into the booth next to Akira, Sojiro stepped around the bar with a cup of what she immediately recognized by smell to be Brazilian Bourbon (her favorite), which he set down in front of her. "Futaba called, said you might want one. Bad news?"

Makoto took a long sip, savoring the soft sweetness and the balance of acidity and bitterness, letting the warmth seep through her, driving out the cold nausea of disgust and horror, like Akira's touch in liquid form. Feeling much more Herself, she smiled up at Sojiro. "Thank you very much, Boss. I definitely needed that. It's a bit of a long story."

Sojiro nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. "You know you're always welcome, Makoto. I'm all ears, just let me get started on Shirogane-san's cup." He turned to Naoto. "Another Matari?"

Naoto tapped a finger to their chin as they considered the shelves of beans. "Altura, please."

Sojiro nodded, then glanced at Akira, who was still partially wrapped around Makoto, and sighed. "Bucaramanga?"

Akira nodded with a grateful smile.

"I can understand the tribal aspect and the mob mentality directed at a designated enemy, but why on earth is it just an endless torrent of men gleefully wishing for us to be violated?"

"Well, it's hardly my place to be telling you this, but the Venn diagram between misogyny and the cult of Powerful Men is damn close to a circle."

Sojiro listened to Makoto's explanation of the online hate group currently targeting her and Sae with a deep and angry frown. Having largely recovered from the initial visceral shock, she was trying to take a more reasoned approach to the problem, appalling as it was, and figure out what they could do about it. Futaba was clearly up to something, and between her and the official investigation they would hopefully catch whoever leaked Sae's files, but that didn't remove the threat of a mob of unknown size who violently hated her and Sis.

Sojiro felt pretty out of his depth as far as the whole anonymous online mob part, and wasn't entirely sure he was in any kind of position to be giving Makoto advice, but he could tell she could use any sympathetic voice she could get. "Shido and his goons have always been like that. All they care about is having the power to get what they want, and they see women as easy targets, weak tools to use however they want. Wakaba never got the respect and the recognition she deserved. Shido took everything from her and discarded her."

His frown deepened. "And they do it because they know they can get away with it. I should have known that 'postpartum depression, hysterical woman' bullshit they fed us was a cover, but..." He turned away. "...with her gone, I didn't have the fight left in me."

As they settled into a hard silence, Makoto's phone rang. "Sis? Oh, ok Sis." Her expression fell. "Yes, I'll ask them. Yes. Bye, Sis. I love you."

She turned nervously to Sojiro. "Our address was in Sis's files, and they aren't sure it would be safe to stay at our apartment. Sis is staying at the office. Once the semester begins, I can stay at the dorms, but until then..."

Sojiro patted her shoulder with a warm smile. "Of course, Makoto. Like I said, you know you're always welcome. And I don't think Akira would mind you staying with him one bit."


	12. Diarama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you know? Makoto has a diligently cared-for potted plant almost exactly like Akira's in her room.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrI8Of5pXK0

"I'm so sorry, Akira."

Akira turned to Makoto, looking forlorn as she sat between him and Chie on the train to the Niijimas' apartment to grab her things, and gave her a confused look. "Sorry?"

She gave him a sad, worn down glance. "I didn't intend to impose on you like this. I just... don't really have anywhere else to go. You've just moved into your new room, and you haven't even had the chance to enjoy it on your own."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer, and tipped her chin up to look him in the eye, giving her a serious frown. "First, you did nothing wrong. You are, without a doubt, the single best person I know, and you don't deserve any of this shit. So you have absolutely nothing to apologize for."

His expression softened into an affectionate smile, and he brushed his fingertips gently across her cheek. "And second, I enjoy my room way, waaay more with you in it. If you told me, right now, that you wanted to stay with me every day for the rest of our lives, nothing could make me happier. I wish it were under better circumstances, but we can think of it as practice for when we're Living Together For Real."

God, he really did always know just what to say. Makoto could feel her cheeks heating up as warmth spread through her at the thought of them Living Together For Real someday. She gave him a bashful smile and brought up a hand to hold his cheek, pulling him into a quick, soft kiss. "Thank you, Akira. When you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad."

"Woah, that's a lotta books!"

Chie stared, awestruck, at the sheer volume of Makoto's personal library, amazed that one person could read so much. Dense, complicated texts on law, and volumes upon volumes of study materials. Shelves of literary classics and philosophical works for her recreational reading, along with a bit of shoujo manga. She turned to the row of 1st place Aikido trophies on one of the shelves with an impressed whistle. "Well, no surprise there."

Makoto rummaged through her clothes, considering how much she would need to bring for a potential extended stay with Akira and the Sakuras. Fortunately there was a small laundromat down the street, so she could get by on enough for a few days. As supportive as Akira was being about all of this, she didn't want to fill his room with her things. 

Noticing her indecision as she held up one of her blouses, Akira looked up from weighing her plant and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about space. We can always use the attic at Leblanc for extra storage if we need to. Speaking of, this thing's gonna suck to bring on the train, but I hate the thought of a plant going hungry. Should we bring it?"

He hoisted the hefty houseplant with a grunt of effort and gave her a questioning look, and Makoto laughed for the first time in what felt like forever. She rolled her eyes and gave him an amused grin. "Fine, but you're carrying it."

In addition to enough clothes for a week and basic toiletries, Makoto ended up bringing her laptop, her material for the upcoming semester, the novel she was reading, the Buchi-kun plushie she always kept on her bed, the Panda Thieves, and Akemi Kurusu's three watercolors: them asleep on the couch, Akira's portrait, and her Lake haiku.

Akira brought the plant, and regretted every moment of it, but as he set it down next to his own in Leblanc's attic, he couldn't help but give the pair of well cared-for potted plants a satisfied smile. "We really do match, don't we?"

"Oooohhhh.~ Akiraaa.~ That feels amaaaaziiiing.~"

Makoto's back was, understandably, a bit of a stressed out mess, and Akira was giving her the most Thorough full body massage she had ever experienced in her life. Their last couple nights together had been fairly passionate, for very different reasons, but Makoto was pretty exhausted after everything, which Akira considered a perfect excuse to Fully Pamper her. 

Getting the chance to take his time and enjoy the perfect tone of her muscles as he kneaded every ounce of tension out of her body was honestly one of his favorite things, and he went to work with joyful enthusiasm and masterful skill. Makoto was, understandably, enjoying it quite a bit too, practically purring as she melted into the sheets. 

When Makoto had achieved Absolute Relaxation, Akira tapped her shoulder to roll over, and gave her a questioning look. She gave him a soft, tired smile, letting him know that while she would very much appreciate his further Touch, she didn't exactly have the energy for Queen On Top, and was more in the mood for his gentler attentions.

Akira gave her an affectionate, understanding smile back, and leaned down to give her the softest kiss he was capable of (which was quite soft), then slowly and tenderly kissed from her neck down to her shoulder. Makoto lay back with a deeply appreciative hum as his gentle touch washed across her in a strange sensation, at once warm and cool, that she found oddly similar to the feeling of being targeted by a Diarama. 

While she had always been very appreciative of Akira's touch, Makoto hadn't really noticed the healing effect before, but then there hadn't been many times where she'd needed it this much. She did remember a similar feeling after Akira's escape from his interrogation, but she had been far more of a wreck then than now, and their relationship hadn't quite gotten to the level of intimacy he could now utilize in his attentions. Still, the feeling of his hands on her bare skin as they lay together, even frighteningly hot from the shock to his system, made her whole in the knowledge that he was alive and with her.

As his gentle lips and their healing touch made their way down her body, Makoto brought her hands up to play in Akira's hair, enjoying the soft fluffiness as she lightly grazed his scalp with her nails. His own appreciative hum, just as he reached the Main Event, was the exact thing she needed to bring her to a level of relaxed contentment that she had not previously thought possible, and as his tongue pressed gently into her, she was able to momentarily forget everything except for just how unbelievably good he made her feel.

"It isn't so much the thought of being attacked again. If another wants to try, I'll give him exactly what I gave the last one, and between you, Chie, Kanji, and myself, we're quite a formidable force. What's scary is the idea that there's a mob of people, who I don't know and who don't know me, but who really, really want me to be horribly abused and tortured."

Akira nodded with a grimace and an angry grumble of agreement, and Makoto looked up from resting her head on his chest. "That sounds like a grumble from experience."

(Content Warning: threats of sexual violence)

He gave her a conflicted look, but at the honest question in her eyes he sighed and relented. "The second worst thing someone at Shujin ever said about me. After a while the rumors kind of tapered off, with the gossip about the Thieves, but early on it was bad. I remember one kid who was really excited about what would happen to me when I was inevitably sent back to prison. Really getting into it and going into detail. I couldn't believe it. What the fuck has to be wrong with you to be getting so fucking excited about the thought of me getting raped, no matter how much you hate me?"

(Content Warning End)

Makoto gave him a scandalized and deeply sad frown. "That's horrible! I had no idea it had gotten so bad." She heaved a deep, thoughtful sigh. "I suppose it's all a process of dehumanization. As a group increasingly views its designated enemy as an absolute Other, increasing levels of degradation and violence become permissible, as the Other isn't seen as being fully human. Not a very comforting thought, considering that's also how genocides start."

They both heaved deep sighs. This fucking sucked. 

Makoto laid her head back on Akira's chest and ran her fingertips lightly across his stomach, hoping that her own touch had some of his healing magic. From the way he instantly relaxed at her touch, she could tell easily enough. 

She sighed and cursed her own curiosity. "I'm almost afraid to ask what the worst thing they said about you was."

She immediately regretted asking, as Akira instantly tensed up again with an uncomfortable grumble. "It was... when we started spending time together at school. What... what they said I was going to do to you."

She nodded and let out an angry huff. "I've never had to fight so hard not to punch someone in the face in my life. The thought of them saying that about you, when I know you're the kindest, sweetest person..." Rather than continue to seethe at Shujin's asshole students, she let out a long sigh and nuzzled her cheek into his chest, and went back to gently stroking his stomach until they both calmed down. "They aren't worth it. We have each other, and that's better than anything they could ever imagine. I refuse to let them intrude on the happiness and the life I have with you."

Akira nodded and rested his chin on her head. "That's the only way I've ever found to get through it. You can't care what the people who are going to hate you no matter what think. They don't know you and they don't matter. What matters are the people you actually care about, the real connections." He gently rubbed her shoulder. "This. The rest? Fuck 'em all!"

Makoto giggled and turned her head to plant a kiss on Akira's chest. "Fuck 'em all!"


	13. Church

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy.

Makoto awoke feeling significantly better about everything. Spending the night in Akira's arms had a wonderful rejuvenating effect, and she was ready to make the best of their current living situation. As they cuddled before breakfast, Akira got a message and stretched across her to check his phone.

Hifumi: Good morning, Akira. I'm happy to hear that you have returned to Tokyo. I'll be practicing in Kanda tonight, if you would like to join me for a match.

Akira gave Makoto a knowing grin and a questioning raise of his eyebrow. "Have you talked to her?"

Makoto shook her head with a deep blush. "I mean, we've had our regular matches together, and on occasion we grab a bite to eat afterwards, but I haven't brought up... that. It isn't exactly something that's easy to fit into casual conversation. 'Masterful move, Hifumi. By the way, would you be interested in a threesome with Akira and me?'"

He let out a warm, soft laugh and gave her a bright grin, then leaned in to brush his lips against the corner of her mouth, across her cheek and up to her ear, whispering. "Do you want to?"

Makoto's eyes widened in excitement as her blush intensified, which made her quick nod a bit redundant. Akira brushed her cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll try to gauge Hifumi's interest without putting her on the spot. Sound good?"

Makoto nodded and pressed her cheek into his soft touch with a pleased hum. "If you think she would want to. I just don't want to make things uncomfortable between us."

Akira: Is it ok if Makoto and I both come?

Makoto didn't think his phrasing was _that_ funny, and rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh as Akira chuckled while they awaited her reply.

Hifumi: Of course. I would love to play with both of you.

Akira gave her an enormous grin, and Makoto had to admit that _that_ phrasing was pretty funny, as she giggled and nuzzled deeper into his chest.

As Makoto and Akira brushed their teeth, they were joined by an exhausted but very pleased Futaba, who laced her fingers and stretched her arms over her head. "Well, that took forever, but it was worth it. Still working on the mole, but the rest were all noobs."

Makoto regarded her with a concerned look, unsure if she wanted to know what Futaba had been up to, and Futaba chuckled and patted the air with her hands. "Don't worry, nothing _too_ illegal, but I did make sure that you and Sae's info No Longer Exists online, or on anyone's device. I also fried a few that really pissed me off, and just to be on the safe side I installed tracking software on all their phones, so I can give you a heads up if they get within a certain distance of you, kinda like an unofficial restraining order."

Still a bit conflicted regarding the legality of any of that, Makoto gave her a grateful but nervous smile. "Thank you, Futaba, but you really didn't need to do all of that for me."

Futaba shrugged and gave her an affectionate grin. "You gotta love your work." Her expression shifted to a serious frown. "No one fucks with Queen on my watch."

She tapped a finger to her chin and planted a nonchalant hand on her hip. "Anyway, I do this sorta stuff for Ann and Haru all the time. They both have public profiles, so they get tons of creeps and assholes. Especially Ann." She rolled her eyes with a frustrated huff. "I had to institute a Creep Threshold for Ann threads, or it'd be a full time job."

Makoto gave her a surprised and concerned frown. "I didn't realize that Ann and Haru had to deal with this sort of thing too."

Futaba sighed deeply. "Welcome to being a Woman Online. Although this is the first time it's been pro-Shido extremists. Ann mostly just gets super creepy guys, and Haru gets 'hur hur hur, a girl playing CEO?' douchebags whenever there's an article about her." She gave Makoto a humorless smile. "And now you know why I use male screen names."

Makoto raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "And you still insist that I should 'do' social media?"

Futaba rolled her eyes with a long huff. "Hey, there's cool stuff online too, and fuck letting the douchebags chase me off." She sighed and thought for a moment. "But like I said, I don't usually deal with weird fringe political cults, so I'd still say don't stay at the apartment until Sae gives you the all clear." She gave Makoto an excited grin. "Besides, it's gonna be awesome living together!"

While Makoto was warming up to the idea of living with Akira and the Sakuras for the time being, she was still a bit uncomfortable with the idea of staying with him because they had to, rather than because they wanted to. The last thing she wanted was to overstay her welcome with Akira, or for her presence to become a burden to him, and she found herself half-consciously trying to be as inconspicuous and unobtrusive as she could.

Unsurprisingly, Akira immediately noticed Makoto trying to take up as little space as possible as she curled up in a corner of his bed with one of her legal texts, and gave her a gentle, playful grin. "You know you don't have to do that, right?"

She glanced nervously up at him. "What do you mean? Was I doing something wrong?"

He sat beside her with a warm, affectionate smile. "You don't have to do _that_, either. Makoto, the thing I like best about this room is that it's ours. I want you to be able to relax and be comfortable here." He gently took her feet in his hands, stretched her legs out over his lap, and began giving her a foot rub with an amused grin. "So you don't need to worry about getting in my way, or bothering me. I'm always happy to share this space with you."

With an appreciative hum at Akira's firm but gentle kneading of the balls of her feet, Makoto relaxed and stretched out a bit. "Mmm, thank you, Akira. I'm still getting used to the idea, but I'll try. And I want you to know how grateful I am for everything you do for me. You've made this whole mess bearable."

With a soft, satisfied smile, he gently lifted one of her feet to his lips and pressed a light, affectionate kiss to her ankle. "A pleasure to be of service to my Queen."

"It's wonderful to see you again, Akira. Makoto has proven herself to be quite the worthy opponent, but I have missed your unorthodox style."

Akira smiled warmly as he and Makoto sat across the board from Hifumi. "Great to see you too, Hifumi. It's been way too long. I've been practicing a bit with my parents, but nothing of your caliber, so go easy on me. So, is there a Mr. 'Dragon of the Togo' yet?"

Makoto's eyes widened slightly as she glanced at him, but Hifumi laughed and shook her head, quite amused at the very idea. "Oh my, no. While my mother no longer forbids me from dating, the few tentative forays I've made thus far have yet to yield much success."

Makoto gave Hifumi a genuinely surprised look. "I wouldn't have expected. You're so charming, and elegant, and beautiful, I would have thought you'd have boys lining up around the block."

Makoto and Hifumi's cheeks both began to heat up, Makoto at the realization of what she had just said, Hifumi with a bashful smile at her compliment. "Thank you very much, Makoto, that's very kind of you. Unfortunately, the boys lining up around the block are precisely the problem. While I have no shortage of suitors, they're mostly interested in 'the Venus of Shogi,' which I have no particular interest in being for them."

She shook her head with a sigh. "I learned rather quickly that going on dates with 'fans' who knew me from those absurd articles was a poor strategy, and most of the students at Kosei seem to find me a bit... intimidating. Besides, making a real Shogi career for myself is far more important to me than some silly fling."

She gave Makoto and Akira an approving smile. "Although, I must admit that seeing the two of you together, I _am_ a bit envious. You're both clearly so comfortable and happy together, I think that something like that would be quite nice. Both of you are such lovely people, and it's wonderful to see you make each other so happy."

She closed her eyes and nodded solemnly. "I lament that all of Mankind cannot know such joy."

"Would you like to join us?"

It wasn't the way Makoto had intended to broach the topic with Hifumi, but it was the way she did. Both Akira and Hifumi turned to her with very wide eyes, and Makoto glanced nervously over at Hifumi with a deep blush, expecting to see her disgusted or offended that she would say such a thing. 

What Makoto did not expect to see was a bashful, slightly nervous, but very excited smile on Hifumi's face. "...Oh? Perhaps... this conversation would not be the most suitable for a church. Would you... like to get coffee?"

Akira gave Makoto an approving smirk, then turned to Hifumi with a warm smile. "I know just the place."


	14. Negotiations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Joker and a pair of Queens.

"I must admit, I did not wake up this morning expecting two of my closest friends to offer me the chance to... join them."

After hours at Leblanc, while Akira brewed everyone coffee, Makoto and Hifumi tried to work out exactly what all of them wanted out of this arrangement. Makoto hadn't expected things to progress quite this quickly, and was a bit ahead of the plan as far as just what she wanted to do, and what she wanted their relationship to be. While it wasn't as uncomfortable as she had feared, there was a fair bit of tension (possibly sexual in nature) between the two brilliant young women.

Hifumi glanced up at her with a deep blush and a slightly nervous smile. "It's... certainly an exciting offer. You're both very attractive, intelligent and charming and kind. I think that it could be very enjoyable to... be with you. But it's quite a lot to take in all at once, and I certainly wouldn't want to come between the two of you. What would we... be?"

While Makoto was largely improvising at this point, this was a question that she had been thinking about herself. She gave Hifumi a reassuring smile and lightly rested a hand on hers. "Friends with benefits, I suppose. We wouldn't want to do anything that you aren't completely comfortable with, and we don't need to rush in all at once. This is... sort of new territory for me as well, so it may be best if we start out slow and, well, see where things go from there."

Hifumi giggled and gave Makoto a playful grin. "'Friends with benefits' is quite the innocent sounding term for it, but I do rather like it. And starting out slow sounds quite agreeable." She gave her an excited smile with a deep blush. "Truthfully, I hadn't even considered that I was... interested... in women, although I've always found you very beautiful. So... how exactly should we go about, um, taking things slowly?"

Hifumi gave her a questioning look that she knew well enough to be asking for a little direction and guidance, and Makoto brought up a hand to lightly cup her cheek (god, her cheek was so soft!). Hifumi leaned into her touch with an appreciative sigh as her eyes slipped shut, and Makoto leaned forward to gently, gently press her lips to Hifumi's (even softer than her cheek!). 

For a moment, Hifumi was a bit too stunned to respond, but then her own lips parted and met Makoto's, with a soft hum of pleasure into her mouth as she slid a hand down to rest on the curve of her hip. When they drew back, they shared very surprised looks and intense blushes, then Hifumi began to giggle. "I would say that's a very strong start."

Akira set their cups down in front of them with an amused grin, and Hifumi glanced at him before turning to Makoto with another questioning look, this one a request for permission. Makoto smiled playfully at her, then turned to Akira and lightly held his hair, pulling him into a deep, confident kiss, confirming that he was hers and she was his, and as partners in this, she gave him full permission to share with Hifumi. 

Akira was, by this point, quite fluent in kisses with Makoto, and as she pulled back he gave her a playful smirk, confirming that he had received her message, loud and clear, before turning to Hifumi and lightly brushing her cheek as she leaned eagerly into his kiss.

It was a bit of a strange experience, watching Akira kiss another woman. It wasn't jealousy (this was her idea, after all, and she had just kissed the same Other Woman), but there was a subtle dissonance in watching Hifumi swoon at the charming touch she knew so well that Makoto found oddly exciting. The thought of her and Akira working together to make Hifumi feel as good as he always made her feel was quite the enticing prospect. 

As they pulled back, Hifumi, looking very flustered but also very In The Mood, turned to Makoto with a suggestive smile. "Perhaps... we don't need to take things _that_ slowly."

There was a momentary flash of panic as Makoto slipped Hifumi's dress from her shoulders to fall to the floor. While she knew the Shogi prodigy was beautiful, she hadn't been prepared for the sudden revelation of her body, so close, and leaning into her touch. Slender and willowy, a bit like Yukiko, but where Makoto appreciated Yukiko's beauty in a detached, aesthetic sense, Hifumi she desired, wanted to feel and adore her softness.

Residual self-consciousness kicked in, and Makoto found herself comparing herself unfavorably to Hifumi's perfection, and worrying that Akira might end up liking her better, or Hifumi might end up liking to be with Akira, but not her. She snapped out of her brief panic spiral at the gentle touch of lips on the side of her neck, as Akira slipped her blouse up over her head and began tracing very reassuring kisses down her shoulder.

She leaned into his touch with an appreciative hum as her eyes slipped shut. She opened her eyes to find Hifumi regarding her with a mix of awe and arousal, as she brought up a hand to trace her fingertips lightly across Makoto's well-defined abs. "Warrior Queen."

Without pausing his attentions at Makoto's shoulder, Akira grinned and nodded with a contented hum of agreement. Makoto gave Hifumi an appreciative smile and laid a hand lightly on her hip, bringing her other hand up to softly trace her fingers down her slender neck and gently pull her into a deeper, more intimate kiss. With a sigh of pleasure, Hifumi melted comfortably into Makoto's gentle but confident embrace.

As their hands tentatively explored the new territory of each other's bodies, Makoto unhooked Hifumi's bra and gently slipped it off her arms, and was surprised to detect a hint of nervousness as Hifumi gasped at the cool air and the warmth of Makoto's chest lightly brushing her bare skin. The thought that Hifumi was a little self-conscious too was a bit strange to Makoto, considering how beautiful she was, but then Akira had told her the same thing about herself about a thousand times, so she certainly knew the feeling.

With a warm, reassuring smile, Makoto traced a hand up to gently cup the side of Hifumi's breast with a soft, adoring touch, as her other hand tilted her chin up slightly to look her in the eyes and see the admiration and affection and attraction unmistakably present in the way she looked at her. With a deep blush, Hifumi gave her a bashful but appreciative smile, and slipped a hand around Makoto's back to get her own bra off.

Makoto guided Hifumi over to Akira's bed and carefully laid her down, smiling affectionately down at her with half-lidded eyes. Hifumi could tell easily enough that something important was coming, and smiled back up at Makoto equal parts eager, excited and nervous. 

Makoto leaned down to give her a soft, reassuring kiss as she traced her fingers lightly down her chest, then gave her a slightly sheepish grin as she pulled back. "Don't worry, we'll take things slow and easy. I... haven't exactly done this with a girl before, so if you don't like anything, please let me know right away. I just want to make you feel good. Alright?"

Hifumi relaxed a bit, and nodded with a grateful smile. With a playful smirk, Makoto bent down to give her one more quick kiss, before drawing her lips slowly across Hifumi's soft cheek, up along her jaw to her neck just below her ear, eliciting an excited gasp followed by a relaxed and appreciative sigh. Well, that didn't take much, but better that Hifumi be clear about signaling what she enjoyed. With a satisfied grin, Makoto nuzzled her neck affectionately, before moving down to her shoulders to test the sensitivity of her collarbones.

Makoto couldn't help but giggle at the extremely pleased hum Hifumi gave her the moment she reached her collarbones, and had to wonder if this was something everyone liked, or a peculiar quirk the three of them happened to share. Not that it mattered much, as it clearly worked with Hifumi just as well as it did with her and Akira.

Speaking of Akira, he had (knowing this was something Makoto had wanted to do for some time now) been largely leaving her to her own devices so far, but the idea of the two of them, working side by side to make Hifumi happy, was a big part of the appeal of all of this to Makoto. She glanced up at him from giving Hifumi's shoulder attention, and held out an inviting hand with a playful grin, pulling him up onto the bed on the other side of Hifumi and into a tremendously happy kiss, before she went back to work.

As Makoto moved down to begin peppering Hifumi's breasts with light kisses, Akira took a moment to check in on her. From her relaxed, comfortable posture, eyes closed softly, purring contentedly at Makoto's affection, it was pretty clear she was doing just fine. He gently brushed the hair from her eyes, and she smiled up at him. "She's, mmmmmmmmm, she's very, very good."

Akira grinned and nodded, then traced his fingers down to her jaw, bending down as she leaned comfortably into his touch and sharing a soft, slow kiss, as Makoto continued to work her way down towards the Main Event.

Oh, Wow! If Makoto tasted anything like this, she could see why Akira was so eager to do this. The savory taste of warm, soft, living flesh, mixed with the almost citrus tang of Hifumi's arousal and a subtle hint of salty sweat, was absolutely enticing, and she pressed her lips eagerly to her as her tongue slipped inside, cautiously exploring this wonderful new sensation. Hifumi's breath hitched with an intense gasp into Akira's mouth, and he pulled back to press light, reassuring kisses down her neck and shoulder.

Experiencing a whole lot of very new and extremely enjoyable sensations, Hifumi's hands instinctively found their way to Makoto's hair, tangling loosely in her soft locks and pulling her in, pleading for more and softly tightening with the mounting intensity of her gasps of pleasure. Okay, Makoto could see _exactly_ why Akira loved doing this so much.

Hifumi came with a long, musical hum, tensing and holding Makoto close, before falling back and releasing her grip with a relaxed and contented sigh. Makoto pulled herself up to lie beside her with a satisfied smile, and Hifumi turned to pull her into a tremendously grateful kiss, then regarded her with eager, curious eyes. "That felt wonderful, Makoto. Would it be alright... if I tried doing the same for you?"

This was a whole lot of new territory for Hifumi, but Akira could have probably written a dissertation on making Makoto cum at that point, and he eagerly guided Hifumi to all the places he knew she loved to be touched. Between both of their soft, loving caresses, Makoto was in heaven, humming and sighing and purring in a relaxed kind of ecstasy as she melted into the sheets. 

With a shared smirk and a quick, knowing kiss, Hifumi and Akira split up into a pincer attack, as she made her way down to Makoto's pussy while he came up to share a deep, passionate kiss with her. While Hifumi was more tentative in her approach than Akira's confident, practiced touch, the feeling of her soft lips and tongue pressing in and exploring her was still incredible, and Makoto's hands tightened appreciatively as they played in her long, soft hair.

After Hifumi brought Makoto to completion, Akira laid them out side by side to pleasure both in turn. They shared intimate, affectionate caresses and kisses while he had the time of his life eagerly and expertly serving both Queens.

After both came a second time from Akira's skillful ministrations, Makoto and Hifumi shared knowing grins, then turned to him with looks that made clear that it was his turn. As she reached out to pull him down onto the bed, Makoto's eyes went wide, and her expression dropped. "Condoms!"

Akira's shoulders drooped. "Shit." Makoto had consulted with Dr. Takemi and started on birth control while she was still awaiting Akira's release, so they had never needed to worry much about condoms, and with as quickly as things had progressed, they found themselves unprepared for once.

Hifumi laughed lightly and shook her head. "It's alright. You've already shown me so many wonderful new experiences. We can always... save some things for next time." She turned away bashfully and glanced up at Makoto with a deep blush. "If you would like there to be a next time, that is."

Makoto turned to Akira with an excited smile, and he gave her a playful grin, then she turned to Hifumi and eagerly nodded. "I would like very much for there to be many, many next times."

Akira tapped a finger to his chin in thought, then nodded. "We can make this work." He lay on his back and pulled Makoto onto his lap with a fluid, practiced motion. With one hand resting on her hip, he offered the other to Hifumi, guiding her into position straddling his face. Hifumi gasped with surprise as he pressed his lips to her, and turned to Makoto with wide eyes. Makoto giggled and leaned forward to give Hifumi an affectionate kiss as she guided Akira into her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> shifty's Law: any story I write that goes on for enough chapters will eventually be rated E.


	15. Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Middle Spoon

"Well," Makoto thought to herself, "apparently I'm bisexual."

Granted, she sort of already knew that, or at least suspected, but any lingering doubts she may have had about her interest in women (in Hifumi specifically, at least) were pretty definitively answered by their activities together. She had absolutely loved every moment, and felt an exciting and satisfying warmth at the thought that Hifumi had enjoyed herself, and was interested in further experiments with them. As for Akira, she didn't know whether to be incredibly grateful that he was willing to indulge her like this, or laugh at how absurdly lucky he was to have all of this basically fall into his lap, but he clearly had a lot of fun too, and that was what mattered in the end.

By the time the three of them finished, collapsing into an exhausted but very satisfied pile on Akira's bed, it was well past the last train. Fortunately, Akira's bed was large enough to fit the three of them comfortably, and Hifumi let her parents know she would be staying the night with the nice young couple she was teaching Shogi to (which was true). They spent the evening chatting about strategy and game theory while they worked out what the most practical arrangements for three person cuddling were. As they got ready for bed, Makoto made the exciting discovery of the Middle Spoon, with Akira's arm wrapped lightly around her waist, and her arm around Hifumi. She smiled with a contented sigh as she drifted off to sleep, warm and comfortable between two people she loved.

Love? 

Did she love Hifumi? It was a bit of a complicated question, and potentially dangerous, but felt much too important not to consider. She thought back to what Akira's father had written about the Ethics of sex and love, the principle of mutual desire between Subjects, desire for another's happiness, and the joy of giving pleasure. Accounting for the ontological difficulties of really knowing a Subject, she certainly found everything about Hifumi as a person beautiful and admirable and desirable. Her tactical brilliance, of course, and her refined elegance, but even moreso her firm resolve to establish her position within the Shogi community on her own terms after the scandal of her mother's match-fixing. She definitely wanted her to be happy and successful in everything she did, and the joy she felt in giving her pleasure was kind of self-evident at this point.

With a hint of worry, she hoped that Akira knew that he was still uniquely special to her. While she might love Hifumi, what she felt for him was incomparable. He was, without a doubt, the Love of Her Life, her partner in everything, even this, and everything about him and about their relationship made her happier and more grateful than she could put into words. That they could share this experience, and work together to share with Hifumi some of the wonderful things he had always made her feel, meant the world to her, and made her love him so, so much more. She nestled back into his embrace, and his arm tightened gently at her waist as he nuzzled her shoulder with a soft hum in his sleep. 

She felt a joyful tear prick at the corner of her eye at just how happy and how lucky she was to have him, and with an appreciative sigh she tightened her arm gently around Hifumi, who nestled back into her embrace with a relaxed hum in her sleep.

A very sleepy Futaba did a very sleepy double take as Makoto, Akira, and Hifumi made their way past her room the next morning. "Mornin', Quee-wait, you're Hifumi Togo, the Shogi prodigy, right?"

Hifumi turned to her with a slightly nervous nod, and Makoto briefly panicked. Would Hifumi want other people to know about them? On the other hand, she didn't want to downplay their relationship and make Hifumi think she wasn't important to her. 

Deciding to err on the side of caution and apologize to her later if necessary, she turned to Futaba with an apologetic glance at Hifumi. "Hifumi is... our Shogi teacher."

If Hifumi did mind, she didn't show it, as she gave Makoto an affectionate smile and a soft giggle. "Well, you've both taught me quite a lot as well."

As Futaba pieced together Hifumi's cryptic response and the fact that their Shogi teacher seemed to have spent the night, Akira pushed past the awkward moment. "Hifumi, this is Futaba. She's... well, basically my little sister."

Hifumi's eyes lit up and she gave Futaba a bright smile. "Oh, Futaba! I've heard quite a bit about you. Akira and Makoto are both very proud of how brilliant you are. It's nice to finally meet you."

Futaba blushed, but gave Hifumi an appreciative grin. "Oh, uhh, thanks. Nice to meet you too. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone you guys're banging."

Makoto's eyes went very wide, but Hifumi laughed and put a teasing hand on her arm. "I'm fine with our friends knowing, as long as the tabloids don't find out." She rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff. "I'm sure they would just love to do a hatchet job on us."

The three girls chatted over breakfast curry and coffee, while Akira avoided making eye contact with Sojiro, who kept giving him smug, knowing smirks. Hifumi was horrified to hear about the hate campaign targeting the Niijima sisters, but like Ann and Haru, she too had a depressingly similar story.

"I've always had detractors who believed I was coasting on my appearance and celebrity rather than relying on my skills, but after my mother's cheating came to light, the tone became much more aggressive. Over time, most people accepted my heartfelt attempts to succeed on my own merits, but to a certain segment I will always be the 'Phony Princess'. Recently, someone must have posted about my practicing in Kanda, and I arrived to find a small crowd of 'protesters' who wanted to let me know why I should leave Shogi forever. Fortunately, Father Saito was able to disperse them, but it was quite frightening."

Makoto gave her a sympathetic, concerned frown. "That's terrible, Hifumi. I still don't understand why people choose to use the internet to try to make other people miserable."

Futaba shrugged with an exasperated sigh. "People are kinda assholes like that."

Makoto tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Futaba, you said you've helped Ann and Haru with this sort of thing before. Do you think you could do something to protect Hifumi's information, and monitor any organized harassment campaigns against her?"

Futaba nodded with a confident grin and pulled out her phone. "Of course. I've got scripts to automate most of the basic stuff, so I can put those on right away, and they're pretty good about giving me a heads up if anything serious comes up."

Hifumi gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you very much, Futaba. I've been trying to go about my business without worrying too much about it, but it would be an enormous relief to know that there are safeguards in place."

Futaba shrugged and gave her a satisfied grin. "No prob. Seems like this is kinda My Thing, and it does feel pretty good doin' my part to make the web marginally less shitty."

Makoto considered her thoughtfully. "You know, Futaba, with your technical prowess, you could develop some sort of cybersecurity software for broader distribution."

Futaba tapped a finger to her chin with a thoughtful hum. "Huh. You know, I totally could."

While Makoto and Futaba walked Hifumi to the station, discussing security options, Akira helped Sojiro get ready to open Leblanc. Once they were alone, the older man barked out a dry laugh. "Hah! Kid, I don't know how the hell you talked Makoto into that, but be careful. You two have invested a lot of time and a lot of emotions in each other, and I've seen her mad. I'm not gonna be the one saving your ass if she comes around here looking for blood."

Akira rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Technically, she talked me into it, although admittedly I didn't take much convincing."

Sojiro was (miraculously) momentarily speechless, then he stroked his goatee thoughtfully. "Huh. I guess as long as she's happy."

Akira grinned and nodded as he wiped down the bar. "That's pretty much my motto."

Sojiro laughed and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hoo boy! Well, I just hope you know what a lucky sonovabitch you are to have a girl like Makoto."

Akira smiled. "If I know one thing, it's that."

"Oh, wow. Yeah, she's super, suuuper pretty."

Chie, who wasn't quite sure what Shogi was, had never heard of Hifumi Togo, so Ann helpfully pulled up one of the numerous articles about her to show her a picture.

While Hifumi said it was fine if their friends knew about them, Makoto didn't exactly want to go around carelessly broadcasting it to the world, but there were a couple people she did want to talk to about some of the things she was finding out about her own sexuality.

Naoto was working with Futaba to uncover the SIU mole. Shiho was at a summer volleyball clinic. Kanji was hanging out at Protein Lovers with Ryuji, with whom he felt a special kinship. Makoto, Akira, Chie, and Ann met for nikuman (while Makoto explained that savory crêpes involving meat were available, Chie wanted something a bit more hearty, and since Ann was working out at least a bit more For Real, they were able to convince her that she could still enjoy a pastry while getting a bit more protein).

Makoto nodded with a blush. "She is very beautiful, but what I find most attractive are her sharp tactical mind and her competitive spirit." Ann and Chie both began to giggle, and she raised an eyebrow at them. "What?"

Ann smirked at her. "That's just a super Makoto answer, and it's super cute."

Chie leaned forward and looked between Makoto and Akira with a conspiratorial whisper. "So, you three have..."

With an extreme blush and a nervous whine, Makoto quickly nodded, and Chie and Ann both cheered quietly. Chie reached across the table and gave her an approving clap on the shoulder. "Congrats! Judging by your face, you enjoyed yourself."

Makoto took a deep breath to try and compose herself, and gave Chie a bashful smile. "I did. It was wonderful." She turned to Akira with a playful smirk. "Now I know why you like doing that so much."

Akira shrugged with a nonchalant grin. "I've heard some guys hate it, and I'll never understand them."

Chie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Some guys are dumb."

Ann laughed and corrected her. "_Most_ guys are dumb."


	16. A Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too much.

The next couple days fell into a comfortable rhythm. Jogging with Chie, Ryuji, and Shiho in the morning. A group lunch (they needed some way to get Futaba and Naoto away from her computers for some fresh air), then Makoto and Akira scheduled time in which she could do her prep work for the upcoming semester, either in Akira's room or at the university library, while Akira went about his generally inexplicable adventures around Tokyo with Morgana. 

In the evening, they had scheduled their shifts at Crossroads together, both because it was much more enjoyable that way, and to have someone watching Makoto's back in case she was attacked again (Chie came along too, ostensibly as Makoto's bodyguard, but also to have a couple beers and chat with Lala-chan, whom she instantly loved). They also made sure they both had off nights when Hifumi was practicing in Kanda. The three had been talking A Lot in a new private chat, and she clearly had some ideas she wanted to try.

After an enjoyable evening of matches, they returned to Akira's room, where Hifumi, being Hifumi, proposed a game. 

As there was one thing they hadn't been able to do last time, she had an idea to make her first time Really Being With Akira a bit more interesting. She and Makoto would play a game of Shogi, with the night with Akira as the stakes. Of course, the game itself was merely a setpiece within the real game. Makoto wanted Hifumi to experience Akira, so the stakes were only real within the context of the roles they played. Nonetheless, the thought of Akira on the line lit a competitive fire within Makoto, and she played like their love really did depend on it.

There were a great many fields where Makoto could run circles around Hifumi, brilliant as she was. Queen had experienced and understood things about commanding an actual combat group that Hifumi could scarcely imagine. In a fight, she could snap her like a twig. In Shogi, however, while Makoto could occasionally take a game off her, she was still heavily outmatched, and Hifumi was likewise lit up with the full fire of the Dragon of Togo. While Makoto put up a valiant effort, in the end Hifumi was the victor, and while she fully understood the nature of the game, Makoto's heart still sank at the idea of losing Akira to her as she conceded.

Noticing her downcast eyes, Akira gave her a concerned frown and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

She took a deep breath, reminded herself that it was all just a bit of roleplay, and gave him what she hoped was a convincing enough smile. "Of course. It's just a game."

He didn't seem especially convinced, and gave her a deeply conflicted look, then leaned in to give her as reassuring a kiss as he could. "Remember, our safe word is 'curry'."

Hifumi's attention, meanwhile, was drawn to the unassuming little pile of scarves sitting on Akira's dresser. "So much more frustrating, more intense, if you can't see or stop it..."

Blindfolded and with her hands tied behind her back, Makoto knelt at the foot of Akira's bed, desperately reminding herself that this was just a game. 

She knew it was a game. She knew that Akira's heart belonged fully to her, just as hers belonged fully to him. She knew Hifumi had neither the intention nor the ability to take him from her. She wanted Hifumi to experience Being With him. She and Akira had even tried out a little light bondage before, playing with the senses of control and surrender. 

But this was too much. It felt too real. It hit too close to her very real (as much as her rational mind knew them to be entirely unfounded) fears that Hifumi really could take Akira away from her if she wanted to, that Makoto's desire for her could cause her to lose both of them. She would be alone again, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Makoto panicked, starting to shake and hyperventilate as tears soaked through the scarf covering her eyes.

Instantly the blindfold and the binding on her wrists were off, and Akira and Hifumi were both kneeling in front of her with gentle, worried frowns. Hifumi pulled her into a tight, comforting embrace, gently stroking her hair before pulling back to let Akira hold her as she calmed down. Hifumi bowed apologetically to her with a look of deep and sincere regret. "I'm so sorry, Makoto. I failed to consider how deeply such a game would affect you. We... should probably call this whole thing off for tonight."

Recovering quickly as Akira rocked her gently in his arms, Makoto looked at Hifumi, and didn't see a rival who would steal him from her, but a friend and lover who cared deeply about her, and wanted to explore their kinks together, but would always pull back if it got to be too much. With a deep, calming breath and an affectionate smile, she shook her head. "No, I still want us to do this, but... this means a lot to me, so it may be a bit selfish, but I want us to do it my way."

Hifumi smiled warmly back at her and leaned over to give her a soft, loving kiss on the cheek. "Of course."

"Now, it might hurt a little bit at first. Just try to relax and keep breathing. I promise, he'll be very, very gentle to start out, and if it gets to be too much, we'll stop right away."

Hifumi lay on Akira's bed as Makoto knelt at her side, smiling softly down at her as she held her hand. Hifumi gave her an appreciative nod, clearly a bit more nervous now that they were so close to actually going through with this. Makoto leaned down to give her a reassuring kiss, then offered her free hand to Akira, pulling him up onto the bed between Hifumi's legs and giving him a confident, passionate kiss, comfortably in control of the situation and enthusiastically granting him permission to give himself to Hifumi.

Akira smiled affectionately at her, much more comfortable with this arrangement and with the knowledge that Makoto was able to take things at her own pace, and leaned in to give her another playful kiss before shifting into position. Makoto had already gotten Hifumi ready orally, and Akira ran his thumb lightly across her entrance, testing her sensitivity and readiness, and eliciting a pleased hum from her, before lining the head of his cock up to begin. Makoto stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest, and he gave her a questioning look. She gave him a playful smirk and reached down to give him a couple affectionate strokes before slowly, slowly, slooowly guiding him into Hifumi.

Hifumi's breath hitched with a sharp hiss as Akira entered her, and Makoto shifted her hand to gently brush her hair from her eyes and lovingly trace her fingertips across her cheek as she gave her hand a comforting squeeze. "You're doing wonderfully, Hifumi. Keep breathing. Even, steady breaths. How do you feel?"

With a tense whine, Hifumi looked up at Makoto, her eyes watering slightly. "It, mmm, it pinches a little, but I can handle it. Just, mmmmmmmm, just go slowly, please."

Makoto nodded with an affectionate smile and laid her hand back on Akira's chest, gently pushing him back until only the very tip was inside, giving Hifumi time to steady her breathing before they went any further. When she could see that Hifumi was ready, Makoto pulled her hand back a fraction of an inch, and Akira followed her, pushing slowly and gently a little bit further into her. Hifumi let out an intense hum and turned to Makoto with desperate, pleading eyes. Her hand still guiding Akira, Makoto leaned down, and Hifumi wrapped her free arm around her, pulling her into a deep, needing kiss.

Gently, slowly back and forth, Makoto's hand guided Akira inch by inch into her, as Hifumi squeezed her other hand tight and buried her face in Makoto's shoulder. Gradually, the initial pain subsided, and Hifumi's tense whimpers relaxed into soft hums and sighs as she started to enjoy herself. Makoto took her hand off Akira's chest, letting him move at his own pace, and began to rub Hifumi's thigh with slow, comforting motions, whispering praise and encouragement to her as she kissed her neck and shoulder. 

While Makoto was entrusting him to his own devices, Akira kept up a relaxed, comfortable pace. He knew this was all still very new to Hifumi, and while she was starting to get into it, he wasn't going to go hard on her until they had more fully established her comfort levels. As he settled into a slow, gentle rhythm, her body began to respond, her hips tentatively grinding against him and inviting him in deeper. He cautiously rocked his hips further forward, and as both their movements picked up, Makoto pulled back to give them some space to enjoy each other, giving Akira an approving and loving kiss before settling back to enjoy the show.

Akira leaned down and braced himself over Hifumi on his elbows, framing her face with his forearms and looking her in the eyes, gauging how she was doing. If the fiery pleasure in her eyes wasn't sign enough, her arms wrapping around him, pulling him down into an ecstatic kiss, let him know she was doing quite well. As she watched, Makoto's hands began to roam her own body. Normally the one in Hifumi's current position, she had never seen Akira from this angle, and the sight of him, so strong, but so graceful and gentle, was incredibly arousing. It was tempting to tackle him off of her and take him herself, but this was for Hifumi, and she certainly wasn't going to stop them before she came.

With all the new and intense sensations Hifumi was experiencing, that didn't take very long, and she came hard, clinging to Akira for dear life as her body shuddered with an astonished gasp. As the crashing waves of pleasure began to subside into relaxed sighs, Akira smiled down at her, and leaned down to give her an affectionate kiss, returned by Hifumi with blissful gratitude, before he raised himself up and pulled out, letting her cool down. They could work their way up to the kinds of marathons he and Makoto were capable of, but Hifumi was already panting softly, and he didn't want to overwhelm her _too_ much.

Akira himself didn't have much time to cool down, though, as Queen pounced on him, pinning him to the bed and smiling down at him with all the pent up excitement of watching him fuck Hifumi. She reached down and rolled off the condom before taking firm hold of him and pressing down until she had taken his length with a single motion. With an ecstatic gasp, he grinned playfully up at her and affectionately squeezed her hips as she began grinding insistently onto him. While Being With Hifumi was an exciting and enjoyable change of pace for him, there was nothing on earth like fucking Queen.

As they lay together afterwards, Hifumi gave Makoto an affectionate, grateful smile. "Thank you so much for all of this, Makoto. I think that your way was a much better idea to start out with. I'm not sure that I would have known what to do with myself without your guidance and reassurance." 

She looked away and gave her an apologetic glance. "I want to apologize again for taking things too far before. When I saw those scarves, I... admit that I immediately recognized what they were for, from... some of my own interests, and thought you were interested in some of the same things."

Makoto leaned across Akira to give her a soft, affectionate kiss. "It's quite alright, Hifumi. I want us to be able to explore and experiment together. The important thing is that we all care about each other's comfort. Akira and I have played around with a little BDSM, but we've mostly stayed on the softer side. I certainly wouldn't be opposed to... trying some things with all of us, but we should discuss what we're all comfortable with and what we want to do beforehand."

Hifumi nodded with a satisfied smile. "That sounds quite agreeable." She turned to Akira with a deep blush. "Thank you as well. You were wonderful, and I don't think I could imagine a better way to do... that, for the first time." 

She turned back to Makoto with an even deeper blush. "Speaking of... trying some things, do you think it would be alright if I... did for Akira what both of you did for me last time? A bit of a token of my gratitude for how wonderful he made me feel."

Makoto smiled and brushed her cheek. "Of course, Hifumi. Would you like to try doing it together?"

Hifumi nodded eagerly, and as both women gave him playful grins and slid down his body, Akira was very thankful that he was already lying down, as it felt like the lightest breeze would knock him over and shatter him on the floor.


	17. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why yes, I have been wanting to use this song for a while now.

Futaba: This is you btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgkBWZXVLyk

Akira: I mean, you're not wrong...

Makoto: Hifumi loves it. She wants more of this band.

Futaba: Tell Hifumi she fucking rules and has good taste.

Akira: Done.

Futaba: Here you go: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujsUCqe-QIk

Makoto: Did he just say "I'll do anything to make you cum"?

Futaba: Yes. Yes he did.

Akira: That's a Big Mood.

Futaba: ಠ_ಠ TMI, Big Bro...

While it was a challenge working around Hifumi's match schedule, the next day the three of them were all free, and decided to take advantage of the opportunity for a proper date. Of course, they had stopped for a quick bite to eat between their games at the church and their games in Akira's room, but they wanted to make good use of their free day together to do something special. At the same time, they wanted something familiar and comfortable, and Makoto's suggestion of a trip to Jinbocho was immediately agreeable to both Akira and Hifumi.

Makoto and Hifumi were no strangers around Jinbocho Book Town, but as the site of their first meeting almost exactly a year ago, the district held a special meaning for both of them, and though they had spent countless hours perusing the antique bookstores, there was something exciting and new about the three of them there together. Hifumi's fear of embroiling Makoto and Akira in scandal kept contact between them to a level that could be plausibly explained as close friendship, but the shared, secret knowledge of all the taboos they were breaking and how right it all felt gave an alluring tension to the subtle, affectionate glances cast between them as they explored the shelves of military classics.

The contrast of Makoto and Akira's very obvious relationship was the perfect cover for Makoto, Akira, and Hifumi's secret relationship. While Akira and Hifumi practicing alone together had drawn enough scrutiny to result in a minor tabloid story speculating about her mysterious paramour, the sight of her with the cute young couple she was clearly friends with was hardly newsworthy. If Hifumi's hand occasionally brushed lightly against them when she was confident no one was looking, well, some friends were like that, and they certainly seemed to have brought out a warmer side of the Dragon of Togo.

Makoto turned from a weighty, unabridged edition of Clausewitz's _On War_ to Hifumi with an excited smile, holding the book up to show her. "Have you read it? It's one of my favorites. Clausewitz's dialectical approach to military analysis has been tremendously influential among nearly all modern military thinkers."

Hifumi looked up from the copy of _Seven Military Classics_ she was considering and shook her head, examining the tome with curious interest. "I have not. My studies, apart from those specifically relating to Shogi, have mostly consisted of more traditional works, although I feel that new prespectives could challenge some of my preconceived notions."

Makoto nodded with an approving hum at the collection of ancient Chinese military treatises in Hifumi's hands, then smiled and pulled out the tiny, well worn copy of the Art of War she kept in her bag. "I do always enjoy the classics, but I haven't had the opportunity to read the Wei Liaozi or Three Strategies of Huang Shigong yet."

Hifumi giggled and lightly brushed Makoto's arm. "I suspect that you would enjoy Huang Shigong. His first principle is to alternate hard and soft approaches. An effective leader must be both benevolent and awe-inspiring. I think it suits you quite well. And I'm always very impressed by how well read you are on martial philosophy."

With a bit of a blush at both Hifumi's compliments and her touch, Makoto nodded with a pleased smile. "If I'm going to be a commissioner, I'll be commanding an entire police force. The lessons might not always apply on a one-to-one basis, but I feel that having a solid grounding in the history of military thought will improve my tactical abilities."

Hifumi tapped a finger to her chin with an approving smirk. "Of course. I'm glad that you've found such a productive and useful application for your tactical brilliance, now that you're no longer a Thief."

Makoto's eyes went wide, and she gave Hifumi an apologetic frown as she whispered. "You knew? I was going to tell you, before we... you know, but things progressed much more quickly than I anticipated."

Hifumi laughed and playfully shoved her shoulder. "Oh, Makoto, I've known for ages. You're both the lover and the closest confidant of Akira, who I'm almost certain was the leader..." She tapped a finger to her chin and gave Makoto an appraising look. "Unless you were, now that I think about it. And you're one of the most skilled tacticians I've ever met (and most of the people I know are skilled tacticians). I doubt Akira could have kept his activities from you, and he would be a fool not to put your skills to use. And I know Akira is no fool."

Further down the aisle, Akira looked up from a collection of Persian love poems and nodded, with an affectionate grin at Makoto. "She caught us like five months before the cops did. And we kinda shared leadership duties. Queen's the master of planning and tactics. I mostly wrangled the team, and coordinated our attacks."

With an enormously amused smirk, Hifumi raised a curious eyebrow at Makoto. "Queen?"

Makoto rolled her eyes with a sigh and shrugged. "Akira came up with the name."

Hifumi giggled and let her fingertips brush lightly across the back of Makoto's hand. "Oh, I'm sure he did. It suits you well, though." She turned with a blush and glanced playfully up at her. "Would it be presumptuous of me... to call you Queen on occasion?"

Makoto hadn't considered that possibility, but found that the thought of it left her blushing deeply and wishing they were somewhere private where she could properly show Hifumi how she felt about it. "I think... that I would be quite alright with that."

"So, between a team of four, you could begin a battle by strengthening yourselves and weakening your opponents both offensively and defensively. Then Joker, Panther, and Skull set up with abilities that focused the strength of their attacks, while Queen kept you all on your feet, healing your wounds and curing ailments as necessary."

Queen nodded. "Pretty much. That cycle worked the best in difficult battles, where exploiting elemental weaknesses wasn't an option."

Joker nodded in agreement. "Once we got Cybele, we could start fights with Matarukaja and Marakukaja already active, but Queen and Skull usually stacked a cast if we knew we were in for a long fight."

Queen folded her arms across her chest authoritatively. "The last thing I wanted was to need to reapply Marakukaja at the same time that we really needed a Mediarahan or an Energy Shower."

Oracle shrugged with a thoughtful frown. "I could do buffs and stuff, but Prometheus worked on some RNG bullshit. 'Super Charge ready!' Oh, thanks Prometheus. Couldn't have gotten that when we weren't already charged up?"

After a quick detour to Yongen-Jaya to pick up some of Makoto's notebooks (her own were back at the apartment, but Akira kept every one she prepared for him, mostly containing extensive fusion summaries), and to pick up Morgana and Futaba, who would have rioted had they left them, the ménage à trois went out for sushi and explanations.

Hifumi was, understandably, utterly awestruck. Joker and Queen had led a team of seven teenagers and a supernatural cat to defeat countless hordes of what amounted to actual demons, and had slain a malevolent deity who threatened the very nature of reality. It was, without a doubt, one of the most impressive martial feats she had ever heard of, and she wanted to know everything about it.

She was also (again, understandably) quite taken with Joker and Queen (especially Queen), whom she had only caught occasional glimpses of in their matches together. She found Makoto's confident and assertive side intensely attractive, as Queen masterfully laid out the strategic principles the Thieves operated under. While she knew her to be a talented tactical thinker, seeing her truly in her element was both very exciting and a little intimidating.

She gave Makoto a playful grin and tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "I'm not surprised to learn you were a healer. Your only serious tactical flaw in our matches is your reluctance to sacrifice your pieces for a beneficial position. In Shogi it's a simple cost/value calculation, but when you've struggled to keep your real flesh and blood comrades alive, I can only imagine how much more sacrifice must mean to you."

Makoto nodded with a thoughtful hum and tapped a finger to her chin (Akira and Futaba stifled laughs at the two of them tapping their chins at each other). "I suppose that's part of it. We had to make a sacrifice play once, and while it worked out in our favor, it was the most difficult decision of my life, and I still think about what we could have done differently, what we could have done better."

Akira slid a hand under the table to affectionately squeeze her knee. "It was brilliant and it saved my life, and every day with you I'm thankful to love a genius who could keep my dumb ass alive through all of that."

Makoto leaned on Akira's shoulder with a contented hum, and Hifumi gave them a warm, approving smile. Futaba rolled her eyes and wagged her chopsticks at them. "Some of us are trying to eat here."

Remembering they were in public, Makoto sat up with a blush. "Yes, well, as I said, that's part of it, but I've always preferred more defensive tactics. I suspect it comes from my Aikido, but perhaps that philosophy determined the nature of my Persona."

Hifumi's eyes lit up with an excited smile. "Oh yes, you're a martial artist as well! I can't believe I've never gotten to see you in action."

Makoto turned to Akira with a questioning look. "I suppose we could stop by Protein Lovers after lunch."

Akira gave her a thoroughly Jokery smirk. "May I put forward a counter-proposal?"


	18. Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Submission holds.

"It's mostly a matter of utilizing the way the body is built to move against your opponent. This," Makoto held up her hand and bent it forward and back, first as an isolated motion, then with her full arm, "I can put my shoulder into, and if you can put your shoulder into a motion, you can pretty much put your whole body into it. This," she twisted her wrist from side to side, "is an isolated motion, so you can't put much strength behind it."

She wrapped her left hand gently but firmly around the fleshy pad below Hifumi's right thumb and turned her hand counterclockwise until Hifumi's was level with her face, palm facing inward. "This is about as far as your wrist can comfortably turn. Any further..." she slowly pressed forward with her thumb, pushing Hifumi's palm towards the floor and turning her wrist outward. As her hand turned past where her wrist was naturally able to, the rest of her body moved with it, twisting back and to the side.

Makoto let up the pressure on her wrist, allowing Hifumi to stand up straight. "Of course, if you twist harder and faster, it can be quite painful, but we're mainly interested in using joints as levers to put an opponent into a position where they can no longer attack." She brought their hands back to a neutral position between them, then gripped below Hifumi's little finger with her right hand and turned clockwise until Hifumi was bent forward with her arm held up behind her. "The same principle holds for rotating in either direction."

Makoto released her, and Hifumi stood and tapped a finger to her chin with a suggestive smile. "Most impressive. I imagine that techniques that allow you to subdue your partner without harming them have... other applications."

Makoto rolled her eyes with a blush. "Don't get me started. Akira loves it."

She glanced over at Akira, lounging comfortably on the cot in Leblanc's attic, and he gave her an amused grin. While it wasn't quite as suited for an intensive workout as Protein Lovers, the attic had more than enough space for Makoto to show Hifumi a few techniques, with the added benefit of privacy (while they didn't intend for things to get _too_ steamy, they warned Futaba in advance to turn off her bugs, just in case). 

She gave him a playful smirk and an expectant raise of her eyebrow. "Would you like to demonstrate."

He hopped eagerly to his feet and rolled his neck. "With pleasure."

She turned to him with a satisfied nod. "Right center grab, please."

He shot out his right hand, gripping Makoto's blouse just below her throat, and her right hand instantly snaked under his to grab his wrist as she stepped her right foot back and stripped his hand, her left forearm barring his elbow as she pulled him forward and down into a similar position to the one Hifumi had just been in. She dropped her left hand to his, and with both hands locking his wrist she reversed directions, twisting him back as she slid her leg forward around his, and pushing him over her leg and onto his back on the cot. Still securely holding his wrist, she grinned down at him, then leaned in to give him a playful kiss before releasing him.

"I guess we've kind of taken the same approach with bondage. Neither of us is really comfortable causing the other pain, either physically or emotionally, although..." Makoto blushed deeply and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Akira does give very nice spankings, hard enough to sting but not hard enough to hurt."

With a playful grin, Akira slid his hand down from its resting place on Makoto's hip to give her butt an affectionate squeeze, letting her know that his services were available whenever she wanted them. 

After running through a substantial number of techniques with Hifumi, they had joined Akira on the cot (which wasn't exactly built to fit three comfortably, but they managed) to discuss other forms of submission.

Makoto let out a surprised squeak and playfully slapped his chest, then tapped a finger to her chin with a more serious expression. "And we've both had some fairly traumatic experiences, so we try to avoid each other's triggers. Evidently the thought of losing Akira, even if I rationally know it to be a game, is one of mine."

Akira nodded and held her closer. "After the interrogation, I get pretty skittish about having my hands tied. I'm okay with Makoto and the scarves, but I don't think I'd do well with handcuffs, as much as I'd like to play Cop and Robber."

Makoto hummed in agreement and gently stroked his chest. "It works out well for us, though. I think that what we both enjoy about it is the sense of surrender, of giving control to the other, fully trusting that they only want our happiness and pleasure..." 

She glanced over at Hifumi with a reassuring smile. "Not that I don't trust you, it's just that with everything we've been through, we trust each other with our lives. I'd be happy to try again with you, but we should work our comfort levels up slowly, maybe start with the blindfold." She blushed deeply. "I love when Akira does that, and I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you a few tricks."

Always one for unorthodox maneuvers, Hifumi gave Makoto a playful smirk and tapped a finger to her chin. "Actually, I was thinking that I might like you to do me first. My own... experience is all theory and no practice, and I feel it would be better to have a sense of that surrender and that trust before asking you to trust me in that way. Besides, the way you describe it sounds quite exciting. I'm... not entirely sure which role I would prefer. The thought of... submitting to some man was never particularly appealing, but I believe that surrendering to you could be quite nice... Queen."

Makoto reached across Akira to affectionately brush her cheek. "I would love to, Hifumi. Personally, I don't see any reason not to enjoy both positions. I don't know that either Akira or I are exactly 'dominant' or 'submissive,' we sort of play around and switch back and forth, but both of us have a pretty gentle approach when we're in control."

Akira chuckled and affectionately rubbed her shoulder. "I don't know that 'gentle' is the word I'd use for Queen On Top. Maybe 'benevolent'."

"Hmm, we'll need a safe word. Akira and I use 'curry,' but if there's anything you'd prefer, I'll leave it to your discretion."

Having moved back to Akira's room for their next lesson, Makoto and Hifumi stood by his bed in their underwear. Hifumi tapped a finger to her chin, then gave Makoto a slightly nervous but very excited smile. "'I concede.'"

Makoto gave her a satisfied nod. "Alright. We might need to change it if we get into some Shogi themed roleplay, but that should work fine for now."

She wrapped her left hand, gently but firmly, around the fleshy pad below Hifumi's thumb and turned counterclockwise until her body moved with her hand, then slowly pushed forward until Hifumi was on her back on the bed, her hand pinned over her head. With her free hand, Makoto lightly brushed her fingertips across Hifumi's cheek before gently holding her chin and leaning down to give her a confident, assertive kiss, comfortably in control of the situation and prepared to give Hifumi exactly what she wanted. "Ready?"

Hifumi nodded, and with a playful smirk Makoto slipped her free hand around her back to unhook her bra, then dipped her head down to press a kiss to her nipple before taking it in her mouth and very, very softly nibbling on it. Hifumi let out an excited gasp as her pinned arm tensed, and Makoto glanced up at her, her nipple still held lightly between her teeth. Seeing that she was pretty clearly enjoying herself, Makoto smiled, then slowly grazed the nails on her free hand down Hifumi's tummy and slipped her hand under the waistband of her panties, softly tracing across her pussy before pressing two slender fingers inside, as her thumb ran slow circles around her clit.

As Hifumi writhed in Makoto's grip with an intense hum of pleasure, she looked down at her with desperate eyes. "Please, mmmore, Queen."

Makoto turned with a smile to Akira, who had been waiting patiently, knowing he would be wanted soon enough. "Joker, grab the scarves."

Swat.

Swat!

SWAT!

Hifumi knelt between Queen's legs with her hands tied behind her back, as Joker fucked her from behind, intermittently swatting her ass (both the fucking and the spanking a notch or so lower in intensity than what Queen preferred for this sort of thing, which seemed like a comfortable zone for Hifumi). She let out an excited yelp followed by a long contented hum, both muffled in Queen's pussy. Queen affectionately stroked her hair, then lifted her head up and gave her a playful smile. "You're doing very well, Hifumi. Are you enjoying?"

Hifumi nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, mm yes Queen. Very (Swat!) eep! Very much so."

Queen sat up and leaned forward to give her an approving kiss, then gently but insistently pushed Hifumi's head back down between her thighs. She lay back with a pleased sigh as Hifumi eagerly got back to work, then shared a knowing grin with Joker. 

She was _Definitely_ going in the middle next.


	19. Washing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some good, clean fun.

"Mmmm, that feels wonderful, Makoto."

Wanting to clean up before walking Hifumi back to the station, she and Makoto put on some of Makoto's comfy clothes and made the quick walk down the street to the bath house. While Makoto would have loved for the three of them to all wash up together, the shower at the Sakura home wasn't quite big enough to fit all of them comfortably, and while she felt bad about leaving Akira out, he assured her with a playful grin that he was content imagining all the shenanigans they could get up to in their bath.

Not that they were really getting up to many shenanigans. After a long and intense workout, with Makoto and Hifumi exchanging position on top several times, they were both quite satisfied, and were content with a relaxing and mostly innocent mutual washing. Of course, their appetites being sated didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the feel of one another's bodies as they soaked in the hot water and comfortably scrubbed each other's backs. Being in one of the only public places they could be naked together was an exciting tension itself, and they were thankful that the couple older women sharing the bath with them seemed to pay no mind to the subtle affection of their touches.

Makoto giggled as her deft hands worked a small knot of tension out of Hifumi's shoulders. "Akira taught me to give pretty decent massages, but you should ask him for one some time. He's amazing."

Hifumi hummed appreciatively and leaned back into Makoto's touch. "A man of many talents, but then you're quite the polymath as well. A true power couple."

Makoto blushed with a bashful smile. "Well, I don't know that I would go that far. I agree that Akira is very impressive, but I simply did what I felt was expected of me and developed fairly diligent study habits."

Hifumi laughed, and Makoto's eyes widened as she felt her hand brush above her knee under the water. "While modesty can be an admirable quality, an honest appraisal of one's abilities is far more valuable. You're incredible, Makoto. Brilliant, strong, and virtuous. You have all the qualities of a great leader, and have proven yourself on the field of battle. I'm sure Akira would want you to be confident in how amazing you are."

Makoto sighed and nodded. "I'm afraid it must drive him nuts. He always goes out of his way to let me know how much he admires me. I've gotten a little bit better about not getting too down on myself, but I don't want to get a big head, and when it's kind of just how I am, it doesn't really feel all that special."

An older woman soaking nearby turned to them with a wise grin. "I didn't mean to listen in, but I couldn't help overhearing a bit. Let me tell you from experience, 'modesty' is how they get you to undervalue your work. Men are expected to self-promote, and women are expected to shut up so a man can take the credit. You seem like a bright young lady. If you want to make the most of your abilities, you need to respect yourself first, then demand the recognition and respect you deserve. Otherwise they'll walk all over you."

Makoto tapped a finger to her chin with a thoughtful frown. "I suppose you're right. My Big Sis is in a highly competitive, male-dominated field, and I'll be going into one too. She basically had to claw her way up to where she is over the protests of a lot of systemic misogyny, and I expect I'll have to do the same." 

She gave her a look of determination. "Before last year, I was just going along with what authorities expected of me, but now I've found where I belong and how I can serve My Own Justice, and I'll fight as hard as I have to in order to get there." She smiled sheepishly. "I guess that part of that fight is going to be getting over my own discomfort with talking up my abilities."

The older woman nodded with a wry grin. "That's the only way you get anywhere worth going." She gave Makoto a warmer, approving smile. "Oh, and about that sweetheart of yours. Some guys want their girl to not realize her own value, to find her self-worth in their relationship. If you've got a boy who's proud of who you are and wants you to become all that you're capable of being, then honey, that's a damn keeper." 

She tapped a finger to her chin and gave the two of them a knowing smirk. "Especially if he... indulges your interests, if you catch my drift."

Makoto and Hifumi both gave her nervous, wide eyed looks, and the older woman laughed and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. I'm glad that young people these days are getting to be a bit more comfortable exploring who they are, and not just who they're 'supposed to be'."

"So, you and Queen... and Hifumi... are...?"

While the girls enjoyed their bath, Akira brought their things to the little laundromat down the street. While the wrinkles came from Makoto demonstrating Aikido techniques for Hifumi rather than any of their more illicit activities, neither he nor Makoto wanted Hifumi getting in trouble, and thought it better to be on the safe side. Thankfully, managing the party's armor had given him some practice washing women's clothing.

Morgana joined him, and was sitting on the dryer giving him a curious look as Akira waited for the washer to finish. Still new to a lot about humanity, he was unfamiliar with the concept of threesomes, and Akira couldn't help but smile at the innocence in his big blue eyes. "Well... lovers, I guess." He rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "...sounds a lot better than 'fuck buddies'."

Morgana nodded, still looking a bit confused about the arrangement. "Then are they... both your girlfriends?"

Akira tapped a finger to his chin and thought for a moment. "...Maybe? I'm kind of new to all of this too, so I'm not really sure. I guess I'd say Makoto is my girlfriend, and Hifumi is both of our lover. I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to a long term polyamorous relationship with both of them, but we're still feeling out what we're all comfortable with, and how we want to make things work going forward."

Morgana laid his head on his paws with what Akira guessed was a pout. "Huh, sounds complicated..."

Akira laughed and scratched behind his ear. "Definitely, but you know I'd do just about anything for Makoto, and if this is what she wants, I'm certainly not complaining. Not like I'm not having a great time too, but seeing her so excited and happy is the best part."

Morgana lifted his head and gave him an approving cat smile. "You really love Queen a lot, huh?"

Akira nodded with an affectionate grin. "More than I ever thought I could love anyone or anything."

Morgana fidgeted uncomfortably and gave Akira a questioning look. "Do you think... I'll ever find someone like that?"

Akira gave him a thoughtful, reassuring smile and scratched under his chin. "I think so. No guarantees on the, um, intimacy part, but I think you'll find someone you love and who loves you back. What about The Fox? Sorry if I'm making assumptions, but you're the only, um, supernatural animal-like beings I know, and you seem to get along really well. I don't know exactly how it would work with you two, but did you ever ask her?"

Morgana sat bolt upright with wide eyes, and Akira could swear he was blushing under his fur. "I-I haven't. I mean, I really, really like The Fox, but I don't know if she'd want to, um, date me... and I don't even know when I'll get to see her again."

Akira thought for a moment, then grinned and pulled out his phone. "Hey, mom! Doing great, thanks. So, I have a bit of a favor to ask you..."

"Yip!"

Akira, Futaba, and Morgana sat on Futaba's bed, huddled around the tablet Akemi Kurusu had given Morgana to help him communicate. On the screen, The Fox sat next to Akemi, holding her own tablet with the webcam trained on her vulpine companion as she scratched gently behind her ears, on a bench in Tatsuhime Shrine. The Fox's expression was always a bit difficult to read (although Morgana seemed to have no trouble) but she was clearly pretty excited to see him.

Morgana gave her a bashful cat smile. "Oh, uh, I'm really happy to see you, too. I was afraid it was gonna be forever before we could talk again."

The Fox booped the screen with her forehead. "Yip?"

Morgana nodded proudly and craned his neck to show her the little charm tied to his collar. "Yeah, of course I kept it! It... it reminds me of you."

The Fox hopped to the ground and ran a few excited laps around the bench, while Akemi giggled as she tried to keep her in the shot. Morgana tapped the screen to bring up the keyboard and began typing with his paw.

Morgana: Thanks for this, Mrs. Kurusu!

Akemi turned the tablet to show her face and smiled warmly at him. "You're quite welcome, Morgana. This was a wonderful idea."

The Fox leapt back up onto the bench and nuzzled her hand. "Yip."

Morgana: She says thanks, too.

After a soft knock on the door, Makoto popped her head in and smiled at Akira. "Ready?"

Akira nodded and stood. "Makoto and I are gonna walk our friend to the station. We should be back soon."

"Okay, dear. Hi, Makoto! Nice to see you again." Akemi waved, then turned the camera back to The Fox to let her and Morgana continue their conversation.

Makoto giggled and gave Akira a knowing grin. "Hello, Akemi. It's wonderful to see you, too."

As Makoto, Akira, and Hifumi walked to the station, Makoto reached into her bag, pulled out the copy of _On War_ she had picked up in Jinbocho, and presented it to Hifumi with a blush. "We missed our 'anniversary' by a few days, but I wanted to get you something. I thought you might appreciate some of Clausewitz's tactical insights."

Hifumi smiled and took the book, then pulled _Seven Military Classics_ from her own bag and handed it to Makoto. "Likewise. This edition includes the Wei Liaozi and Huang Shigong, as well as extensive notes on the military history of China."

When Makoto and Akira returned to Futaba's room, Morgana looked up at them with shining, excited blue eyes and let out an exuberant yowl. "She said yes!"


	20. Connect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communications.

Akira and Makoto joined the pair on Futaba's bed, still huddled around Morgana's tablet, and a very excited Morgana hopped up onto Makoto's lap, purring loudly. She gave him an approving smile and a scratch behind the ear as she waved to Akemi and The Fox. "That's wonderful news, Morgana. I think the two of you make a very cute couple."

Morgana gave her hand an appreciative headbutt. "Thanks, Queen. But, um, I actually wanted to ask the two of you... how do you make a long distance relationship work? I know it was hard for both of you with us out in Inaba and you in Tokyo."

Akira nodded with a thoughtful frown. "I'm not gonna lie, it's rough. At its worst it absolutely sucks, and you're really gonna miss each other, but at its best you do all you can to stick together however you can, and keeping that connection alive makes it all worth it. If you're both committed to making it work, I think you can do it."

Makoto hummed in agreement and tapped a finger to her chin. "Akira and I tried to keep in touch as much as possible, but that may be difficult when neither of you have phones. Morgana has his tablet, but I don't know where The Fox could keep one, let alone charge it. We'll need to plan out arrangements for someone to facilitate their communication, either Akemi or perhaps Kanji, since Tatsumi Textiles is right across the street."

On the screen, The Fox lowered her head to her paws with a sad yip, and Akemi chuckled and gave her a reassuring pat. "Well, I'm happy to do what I can to help you two out for now. It won't be any trouble until classes start." She tapped a finger to her chin. "But maybe we could do something else about it. Let's get some pictures of both of you, so you'll have something to remember each other by."

The Fox perked up and hopped off the bench, striking an elegant pose, sitting faced away from the camera looking back over her shoulder with a mysterious expression. Akemi snapped a photo and sent it to Morgana's tablet, and the feline Thief began typing excitedly.

Morgana: Great idea, Mrs. Kurusu!

He hopped up onto Futaba's desk and tried out a couple different poses, turning back to the three on the bed with a questioning look. "Wait, which is my good side?"

With a giggle, Futaba grabbed the tablet and snapped a shot of him looking puzzled. "You're like a cat, Mona. Every shot of you's gonna be golden. Just leave it to me."

While the two supernatural animal-like creatures gave them a variety of poses, Futaba and Akemi took shot after shot, until they had robust galleries of each. Akemi turned the camera to herself and gave them a satisfied nod. "Alright, great work. I'll print these out and bring them back to the shrine tomorrow, so she'll have something for when I can't help with the video conferencing."

The Fox hopped back up onto the bench and booped the screen with her nose, then let out a mournful howl. Morgana gave her a bashful cat smile, definitely blushing under his fur. "I, um, I love you too. Don't worry, I'll see you again real soon."

Makoto turned to Akira with a thoughtful smile. "Maybe we could take the van up to Inaba for a long weekend. I believe Respect for the Aged Day is on a Monday this year, so we could go in the middle of September." She turned to Akemi on the screen with a sheepish grin. "If that's alright with you, of course."

Akemi beamed at her. "Of course, Makoto! You know you're always welcome in my home."

That evening Naoto, Chie, and Kanji assembled at Leblanc, along with Sae, to update Makoto and Akira on the progress of their investigation. With Futaba's help, Naoto had tracked down the nondescript mid-level SIU functionary who leaked Sae's personnel files. He was currently in custody for questioning, with all his devices confiscated as potential evidence. 

Futaba's ongoing scan of threads about the Niijima Sisters hadn't found any new threats. The removal of the initial thread combined with Futaba's hacking had evidently put sufficient fear into Shido's keyboard warriors that none seemed willing to further antagonize their unseen watcher.

The police officially considered it safe enough for the Niijimas to return to their apartment, and Sae was thrilled (to the extent any emotion Sae displayed could be described as "thrilled") not to have to sleep at the office another night. 

Makoto was more ambivalent. While it would be nice having her own room back and regaining some sense of normalcy, she was having a wonderful time staying with Akira, and she was more than a little sad that their required cohabitation was ending.

Picking up on her conflicted expression, Akira gently nudged her with his shoulder. "Hey, you don't need a reason to stay with me any time. Right?"

She nodded and leaned on his shoulder with a sigh. "Right. I guess I got used to that just being the way things were, and it started feeling like we were Living Together For Real."

He gave her a warm smile and laid a hand over hers. "Well, we could always use more practice for when we are, For Real."

She giggled and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, cuddling closer to him in their booth. "One more thing for us to study together."

Chie planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head with a pout. "Man, it's a bit anticlimactic though. I was kinda hoping we'd get to beat the snot out of a bunch of always-online douchebags in, like, an all out brawl in a Shinjuku alleyway or something."

Futaba shrugged with a dismissive huff. "Like I said, 99% of those types talk a big game when they're behind a screen, but couldn't do shit irl."

Makoto shook her head with a giggle and gave Chie an appreciative smile. "While I'll admit that knocking some sense into a few more of them would be quite satisfying, I'd rather the proper channels handle things."

Chie sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. Anyway, where's the challenge in stomping a bunch of losers. If I'm gonna fight, I want someone who knows what they're doing."

She gave Makoto a sad pout. "So, um, I guess this means we'll be heading back soon. It was awesome to see you two again. And to finally really meet you, Futaba. And Ann and Ryuji. You guys are all amazing, and it was really cool getting to see Tokyo with you. I, um, kinda wish we'd had a bit more time, but I really miss Yukiko, and I know she misses me."

Naoto sighed and shook their head, giving Chie a sympathetic smile. "I'll still be filing reports with the SIU tomorrow, so we have tonight and tomorrow night in Tokyo yet. And as our official duties are otherwise complete, I suppose we can afford to let our hair down a bit and enjoy the city."

Chie instantly brightened up and beamed at Makoto and Akira. "Do you guys know any karaoke bars?"

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZpZQG2z10)

"Ooh, you make me live. Whatever this world can give to me, it's you, you're all I see. Ooh, you make me live now honey. Ooh, you make me live. Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had. I've been with you such a long time. You're my sunshine and I want you to know that my feelings are true, I really love you. Oh, you're my best friend."

While Akira didn't exactly have Freddie's range, control, or technique (honestly, who does?), he certainly had a bit of his flare for the theatrical. As he locked eyes with Makoto, a playful, affectionate grin on his lips as he sang very clearly and exclusively for her in the half full karaoke bar, even she had to admit that it was one of the corniest things he had ever done for her (from the huge grins Futaba, Ann, and Chie were all giving her, that she was pointedly ignoring as she enjoyed Akira singing to her, she wasn't the only one of that opinion), and god did she ever love him for it. 

It wasn't really surprising that Queen was one of Akira's favorite bands too, but Makoto had no idea how he knew that she especially loved the gentle and sentimental Deacon song and it's playful, bouncy bassline (which her father used to sing to her as he put her to bed). If it was a coincidence, it was the type of coincidence that always gave her the clear sense that they were made for each other.

Akira finished with a graceful bow to her as she joined their friends in noticeably more spirited applause than the polite enthusiasm the other patrons showed his performance, and hopped down from the stage to return to his seat next to her. Makoto leaned over to give him a discreet but affectionate kiss as their hands met under the table, and took a moment to just enjoy how beautiful and charming and sweet he was, before she felt the expectant grins of Futaba and Ann.

"Come oooon, you can't not sing after _that_!"

"Yeah, Queen! Give us that good mush!"

With a nervous whine, Makoto turned back to Akira with a questioning frown. "Do I have to?"

He brushed her cheek and gave her a quick, soft kiss. "No, of course you don't have to. But I'd like you to, and I think you'd have more fun than you think. Broadening your horizons, right?"

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then gave him a determined nod and opened the songbook.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGEKW-e_Ge8)

As the acoustic guitar intro began, Makoto nodded along nervously, worrying that it may have been a mistake choosing a song with such a long instrumental part at the beginning. Casting about for reassurance, her eyes met Akira's, his smile bright and excited. Oh, he knew what was coming, then. She would have to make sure not to disappoint. She smiled back at him and blew a kiss as the rest of the band came in.

The first verse was a bit shaky, and Makoto had to adjust her mic position a bit to project her soft voice over the guitars, but by the pre-chorus she was getting into it, putting some edge into her voice as she belted out to Akira. This wasn't so hard, not that different from presenting at an assembly, but certainly more fun. As the second verse began their eyes locked, giving each other playful smirks as she cooed to him.

"My love is the evenin' breeze touchin' your skin. The gentle, sweet singin' of leaves in the wind. The whisper that calls after you in the night and kisses your ear in the early moonlight. And you don't need to wonder, you're doing fine. My love, the pleasure's mine. Let me go crazy on you! Crazy on you! Let me go crazy, crazy on you, oh."


	21. Expression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow your arrow.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZKcl4-tcuo)

"Take a look at the lawman beating up the wrong guy. Oh man, wonder if he'll ever know, he's in the best selling show. Is there life on Maaaaaaaars?"

It would be safe to say there weren't many dry eyes in the house as Naoto stood, nearly still apart from the gentle rocking of their shoulders, making artful use of the solitude of the stage to contrast their small stature and the surprising power of their voice. 

Not the most comfortable performing in front of a crowd, it had taken some convincing to get Naoto to sing, but as they began, they changed, channeling the depths of their heart to an audience of one. They weren't singing for Kanji (although he was certainly enjoying it, nodding along with a proud smile on his lips), but for Bowie, who had been a tremendous influence on them as they were beginning to question who they were. His death had hit them hard, and their performance was both a tribute and a form of closure for Naoto.

With a quick, shy bow as they finished and the audience burst into applause, Naoto hurried back to their seat. Chie shook her head with an impressed grin and gave them a friendly clap on the shoulder. "Jeez, I really gotta go after _that_?"

Naoto chuckled and gave her an appreciative smile. "You'll do fine, Chie. It's not a competition, just go up there and express yourself, and I'm sure we'll all enjoy."

Makoto turned to her with a warm, curious look. "Have you decided what song you want to perform?"

Chie nodded with a cheeky grin and hopped to her feet, bouncing up to the stage and giving the table of Persona users an energetic grin as she took the mic.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8xqyoZXCc)

"Can't win for losin', you'll just disappoint 'em. Just 'cause you can't beat 'em, don't mean you should join 'em. So make lots of noise. Kiss lots of boys, or kiss lots of girls," she gave Ann and Makoto a subtle, playful smirk and a quick wink, "if that's something you're into. When the straight and narrow gets a little too straight roll up a joint, or don't, just follow your arrow wherever it points. Yeah, follow your arrow wherever it points."

A bit of a country girl at heart, Chie had been thrilled, about a year into her relationship with Yukiko, to hear a song in the genre that acknowledged her existence in any kind of positive way, and while she didn't exactly have words to articulate it, the overall message of being true to oneself regardless of anyone's expectations resonated deeply with her. 

While she didn't consider herself to be much of a singer, she more than made up for it with her enthusiasm, skipping and dancing across the stage and giving exactly zero fucks what anyone thought of her. She had long since taken the words of the song to heart, and was as comfortable as she had ever been living her best life.

Finishing, to respectable applause, with a playful curtsy, Chie rejoined the Persona table with a satisfied giggle. "Alright, that was super fun. I wish Yukiko coulda seen."

Futaba gave her an impish grin and held up her phone. "She did."

Chie's own phone buzzed, and she pulled it out with a deep blush.

Yukiko: That was the most adorable thing I've ever seen. I can't stop laughing. I love you so much, Chie.

Chie: Thanks. Love you too. I was thinking of you. I miss you, but Naoto's finishing up the investigation, so I'll see you soon.

Yukiko: Wonderful! I can't wait. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying your performance again tonight, so here's a little something for you to do the same.

Chie's eyes went wide, and she quickly pocketed her phone as she received a photo that was clearly meant for her eyes only (although knowing Yukiko, she would probably have found it hilarious if the others saw).

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2r2nDhTzO4)

"So you and The Fox are an item, huh? That's awesome!" Kanji gave Morgana an approving grin and scratched under his chin.

Morgana nodded with a conflicted smile. "Yeah, but it's gonna be tough keeping in touch. I have my tablet, and Mrs. Kurusu is helping, but she'll be back to teaching in a week, and we don't know what we're gonna do after that."

While they sat through a rendition of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" that could charitably be described as "music", Morgana discussed the situation with The Fox with the Inaba crew. All of them were happy for their relationship, and sympathetic to the difficulties they faced.

Chie raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. "Wait, you have a tablet?"

He nodded proudly. "Mhm. Mrs. Kurusu gave me one, so I could talk to her."

Naoto tapped a finger to their chin. "That's... actually very clever."

Makoto turned to Kanji with a questioning smile. "We don't want to put you on the spot, but we were wondering if you would be able to help, since you work across the street from the shrine."

Kanji nodded with an enthusiastic grin. "Hell yeah! We just got new tablets for inventory and stuff, so I bet there's still a couple of the old ones lyin' around. I can totally bring one over to the shrine whenever you guys wanna talk." 

He tapped a finger to his chin with an uncharacteristically thoughtful expression. "And we've got a room around the back that we never use. I can set it up for her if you wanna, y'know, talk in private."

Morgana beamed up at him and gave his hand an appreciative headbutt, and Ryuji shook his head with a defeated groan. "Man, I can't believe the cat got a girlfriend before me."

Morgana briefly narrowed his eyes at being called a cat, then gave Ryuji a smug cat grin. "I guess she's able to appreciate how charming I am."

Ann laughed and reached across Kanji to join in petting him. "Oh, totally." She turned to Ryuji with a smirk. "Aaand, Morgana actually _asked her out_. Maybe consider doing the same if you want a girlfriend so bad."

Ryuji frowned at her with a huff. "Yeah, but I don't _know_ any chicks."

Makoto shook her head with a sigh. "You _do_ realize that half our team is female, right?"

Ryuji raised a (relatively) thoughtful eyebrow. "Oh yeah, guess so. But I mean, you guys are with Akira and Shiho..." He gave Futaba a questioning look, and she rolled her eyes and stuck out a dismissive tongue. "Yeah, thought so. And Haru wouldn't wanna get with me." He blushed. "She's, like, super classy."

Kanji chuckled and shrugged. "Hey man, that's what I thought about Naoto, and we worked out alright. Take a chance, and be confident in yourself. Worked for me."

Ann gave Kanji a subtle, approving grin. "For real. Just remember, there's a difference between confidence and arrogance."

As the crew made their way en masse back to Shibuya station, Futaba's phone began beeping incessantly. She quickly pulled it out and scanned it, then turned to Makoto with a furrowed brow. "Bogey, six o'clock."

They all turned, and the ordinary looking young man approaching them froze in terror at the eight glares suddenly trained on him. Looking like he would bolt at any moment, he sheepishly addressed Makoto. "Um, y-you're Ms. Niijima, right?"

Makoto's eyes narrowed as she drew up into a ready stance. "What do you want with me?"

The young man immediately dropped into a deep, remorseful bow. "I'm really, really sorry. I was part of the group that was targeting you and your sister. It was the worst thing I've ever done, and when I saw you... I just had to apologize."

Makoto relaxed slightly (Akira and Chie continued staring daggers) and gave him a serious frown. "Why on earth would you want to be a part of that?"

He stood, looking surprised that he wasn't getting beat up, and tried to think of an answer. "Well, um, I don't exactly have many friends. I got into a group of people who believe in Shido, and it... kind of gradually devolved into hating your sister... It started with just memes about what we thought was unfair coverage of Shido, and got more and more extreme. I... wasn't really comfortable with a lot of it, but they were the only group I felt like I was a part of, and I ended up saying a lot of horrible things to fit in."

Makoto shook her head with a sigh. "While it's no excuse, I certainly understand the desire to feel like you belong, but coalescing around a common hatred is a terrible way to establish a friend group. Learn from your mistakes, and find friends based on something more healthy, something you all enjoy, or a positive change you'd like to make."

The young man quickly nodded, then bowed again and scurried away before they could change their minds about kicking his ass. Makoto turned to Futaba with a smile. "Looks like someone had a change of heart."

Futaba snickered and gave her a confident grin. "I guess your mom getting sent proof you're in a misogynistic hate mob'll do that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/0/0e/P4A_Naoto.png/revision/latest?cb=20141207153024
> 
> https://www.morrisonhotelgallery.com/images/big/large765.jpg
> 
> Same Energy.


	22. Composition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat on keyboard.

When they arrived back at Akira's room, Makoto made it clear that her choice of song was a declaration of intent. After an emotional roller coaster of a week, between the attack, the threats, living with Akira, and their arrangements with Hifumi, she was very much in the mood to show him exactly how much she appreciated everything he did for her. With their lives finally beginning to return to something resembling normal, she was also eager to get the tension and stress out of her system, and knew one very effective way to do just that.

Akira, of course, knew exactly what she had in mind, and as they stood next to his bed, he turned to her with that fucking adorable smirk that they both knew would give her that last little nudge over the edge. Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and she shook her head with a long sigh through her nose, before grabbing his soft, fluffy hair and pulling him down into a fierce and insistent kiss. Without breaking the electric contact between their lips, she slid a leg around his and pushed forward until he was on his back on the bed with Queen on top, her free hand moving down to unbutton his jeans.

Queen reluctantly allowed the current between their lips to break, and released Akira's hair momentarily, as she hopped off of him to pull off his pants and boxers while he quickly got his shirt off. She gave him a carnivorous grin as she slid her panties off and climbed gracefully back onto him, letting him slide her dress up and over her head before bending down to resume her hold on his lips and hair as she took him in hand and guided him into her with an intense moan into his mouth. As she pressed her hips down to take all of him, their kiss broke in simultaneous gasps, and Queen drew her lips hungrily down his neck to bite down lightly on his shoulder as she began to ride him, graceful and irresistible.

Thoroughly pinned (not that he was complaining), Akira rocked his hips forward with her rhythm, pushing as deep into her as possible with each descent of her hips, as his hands appreciated the perfection of Queen's body in motion, one between her shoulders, holding her pressed flush to him, the other resting on her hip as she bounced vigorously on him. Her hand tightened in his hair, pulling his head back and his chin up, as her playful nips migrated up along his jaw to his ear, running the nails on her other hand lightly down his side. Completely under his Queen's control, he could only grin and enjoy.

With an ecstatic gasp, Queen buried her face in Akira's shoulder as she buried him in her, her legs shaking as she came with the force of an exploding sun. When she regained conscious thought, she pulled back to sit up, Akira still deep inside her as she panted and caught her breath for the next round. She could go for several, usually letting Akira finish them with his slow but intense crescendo when she had completely worn herself out on him. Joker had some other tricks he wanted to try out, though, and as Makoto steadied her breathing before starting up again, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled them until he was braced over her, Joker's intense smirk meeting the fire of Queen's eyes.

Her lip curled up into an expectant, questioning grin, and Joker thrust into her to the hilt. He wanted to see how Queen responded to some of the harder things they'd tried when she was clearly in the mood for something heavy. Preliminary results were positive, as she wrapped her arms and legs tight around him with an excited gasp, pulling him in deep. He rocked back as much as her grip would allow, and pushed forward hard. Makoto looked up at him with adoration shining in her eyes, and brought a hand up to his hair to pull him down into a desperately passionate kiss as he got into a powerful rhythm.

Makoto came like a crashing wave of warm light, and Joker pulled back and out to roll onto his back and catch his breath. When he had cooled down and she had returned to earth, Queen hopped back onto Akira's lap, fully re-energized and giving him a smirk that said she knew exactly what he was up to, and thoroughly approved of this little experiment. She could do this all night. Could he?

_What is the Metaverse? The easiest way to think of it is that "reality" as you experience it is not Reality in the sense of conrete physical objects in space, which exists outside of perception, but is a product of your Cognition, the way your mind processes and creates a meaningful world out of the stimuli it receives. There are as many realities as there are beings who experience a reality, but our interactions, our media, our shared understanding of the world also creates shared realities. Social concepts like Truth and Justice have meaning because of their position within our understanding of our shared Social Reality._

_The Metaverse is what happens when an individual's Distorted Cognition becomes powerful enough to distort shared Social Realities. Those Distortions within Social Reality in turn distort Concrete Reality, to the point where the Social Reality manifests as a quasi-Conrete Reality itself. The unusual nature of the Metaverse in practice, then, is due to its being constructed of and populated by abstract ideas from Social Reality, fragments of collective Cognition taking the form of gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters. Each has a symbolic value in Cognition that translates to its "material" form._

Futaba's wide eyes turned from Morgana's tablet to Morgana himself, who was giving her a nervous, expectant look as he sat on her bed. "Mona, this is fucking incredible!"

Without much to do, with Akira and Makoto going straight to bed after karaoke and Futaba spending most of the evening in a raid, Morgana had taken to his tablet with the intent of practicing his writing. One of the pieces of advice Akemi had given him about being in a long distance relationship with The Fox was to develop satisfying hobbies that gave him a sense of meaningful improvement and progress while they couldn't be together. 

Learning to write on his tablet seemed like a natural choice. It was both his only means of communicating with anyone who wasn't a Persona User, and his only means of contacting The Fox, so improving on it would benefit him in both. Unsure what to write about, he eventually settled on writing what he knew, which, with the return of his memories, was the Metaverse. While he could be a bit of an impulsive speaker, when he sat down and collected his thoughts into coherent sentences he was surprisingly eloquent.

"This is golden, you gotta keep going!" Futaba passed the tablet back to him, and he gave her a bashful grin before going back to typing with his paw. Futaba tapped a finger to her chin as she considered him. "Hmm, can you sit back and use both front paws to type? It'd be waaaay faster."

Morgana sat back on his hind legs and pulled up both front paws, and Futaba adjusted the tablet for him. He gave a few tentative taps as he found his balance, then got into a rhythm. "Oh, yeah. This is way better. Thanks, Oracle."

Futaba heard Akira and Makoto returning from the bathroom to his room, meaning they had cleaned up to actually go to bed. She dashed to the door and popped her head out, startling them. "Akira. Queen. Get in here. You gotta see this."

Still a bit dazed even after a shower, Makoto and Akira entered on shaky legs, and Futaba handed them the tablet. "Mona wrote this."

Makoto's eyes widened as she read, and she turned to Morgana with an astonished expression as she joined him on the bed and scratched his ear. "Morgana, this is amazing. Please tell me you intend to develop this into a thorough treatise on the Metaverse."

Morgana gave her hand an appreciative headbutt and climbed into her lap, and she set his tablet down on her legs in front of him. "Thanks, Queen. I guess so. I just wanted to get better at writing to talk to Sojiro and Mrs. Kurusu, but if you think it's good..."

Makoto gave him a reassuring smile and rubbed his neck. "I think it's very good, Morgana." She tapped a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Perhaps we could help with notes and additional references. Futaba knows a tremendous amount about psychology, and I can help with some of the other scientific and philosophical aspects."

Futaba pumped an enthusiastic fist. "Hell yeah, group project!"

Makoto turned between her and Akira with a concerned frown. "Can we publish this, though? The Metaverse as we know it may be gone, but what will happen if knowledge of the principle becomes public? Could someone... make a Metaverse?"

Akira gave her a thoughtful, conflicted look. "Odds are good that someone within Shido's inner circle already has access to that information. It might be better if everyone knew rather than just us and them. Maybe someone could even use that knowledge for good."

Futaba gave them a serious frown. "This is my mother's Life's Work."

Makoto turned to her with a determined look. "You're right. Let's do it." She shifted to planning. "How will we publish it, then. We obviously shouldn't use our real names, it'd be the equivalent of holding up a giant neon sign reading 'Phantom Thief.' Perhaps we could use our code names."

Futaba bounced in her chair with an excited grin. "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Metaverse, by Mona, featuring contributions by Joker, Queen, and Oracle!"

_Philosophical discussion of the narrow boundaries of our perception date back at least to The Zhuangzi, which uses the example of the legendary bird P'eng as a being so vast, and a tiny dove as so small, that they experience reality on entirely different scales from humanity. -Queen_

_"Concrete Reality" isn't things by our names for them, but the raw elemental forces and constituents of the universe. It's as far from our experience of things as quantum mechanics is from linguistics. Even calling a quark a quark is a step from the Concrete Reality of quarks. -Oracle_

_The question remains, what is the ethical use of the Metaverse, if indeed any use can still be made of it? If individuals are able to use it, they will, and we hope they comprehend the gravity of what they undertake. But consider the possibility of a government using it to exert control, as almost happened. -Joker_

Working well past bedtime, Morgana continued his treatise on the Metaverse, flanked on Futaba's bed by Akira and Makoto on their laptops, while Futaba sat at her desk, all responding to each passage with their own approaches and expertise, giving an interdisciplinary feel to the entire piece. 

While they made excellent progress between the four of them, there was still a tremendous amount to be said and explored, and they all foresaw many more cooperative writing sessions ahead of them. They shared satisfied grins, feeling both like an organization with goals, and like a family.


	23. Voice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my name is Morgana.

"Good morning, Boss! Joker got me some cans of tuna. Can I have one for breakfast?"

A slightly robotic version of Morgana's voice rang out from the speakers in his tablet, as he sat back on his haunches in his regular booth at Leblanc, his nimble paws tapping away rapidly at the screen. 

A groggy Sojiro nodded before doing a double take and staring wide eyed at the 'cat'. "Sure, Morgana, just don't make a mes... the hell!? You can talk!?"

Morgana nodded, then concentrated on the screen as his paws sped up. "Yeah! Oracle found a text to speech voice that sounds just like me, and I've been practicing my typing."

Sojiro shook his head with a long, grumbling sigh and got to work brewing himself an especially strong Mocha Harrar. "I'm never gonna get used to this, am I?"

"You will, with as much as he talks." Akira and Makoto entered the café, arms around each other's waists, looking very refreshed. With a quick kiss of her knuckles and a smirk that very dramatically lamented being parted from her for even a moment, he let her take her seat in their regular booth while he brewed their coffee. 

She rolled her eyes with a giggle as he weighed out beans, glancing over his shoulder to consider her thoughfully for a moment before adding a bit more Bourbon to the blend, then turned to Sojiro with a sympathetic smile. "It can certainly be a bit... startling at first, but after a while your cognition accepts it as real, and it sort of becomes normal."

Sojiro chuckled and raised an incredulous eyebrow at her. "I can't imagine what you kids have seen if the talking cat is 'normal'."

Morgana let out an excited yowl. "This is awesome! I can finally talk to people! Oh, wait..." He furrowed his brow and tapped away rapidly. "It's nice to finally be able to talk to you, Boss."

Sojiro gave him an uncertain look, his cognition still processing this development. "Oh... uh, nice to finally hear from you. You know, even though I knew you were intelligent, it's still a bit... weird, to finally hear you talking."

Morgana drooped slightly and began typing. "I'm sorry, Boss. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Sojiro laughed and shook his head. "Not your fault, Morgana. That's on me for being old and set in my ways. But you're part of the family, and it'll be nice to be able to have a real conversation with you. Just... be careful who you talk around. I'm sure people would go nuts over a talking cat."

With a hoot of jubilation, Futaba stomped down from the attic. "All right! We are good to go! Cameras and mics are all set up for the grand debut of Mona's Youtube channel!"

Makoto gave her a conflicted frown and held up a hand in a 'wait just a moment, there' gesture. "Hold on, Futaba. Let's think this through for a moment. I'm not sure it would be the best idea showing Morgana publicly yet, especially if he'll be going to school with Akira next semester. Students were already whispering about him before, I suspect they would notice that he's the same 'cat' if they see him talking online."

Akira shook his head with a chuckle. "The guy who sat behind me was the real MVP. I never really talked to him, but he's a bro." He turned to Morgana with a thoughtful quirk of his lip. "But yeah, you don't see too many blue eyed tuxedo cats, and I'm guessing that seeing you talk would be memorable enough that they'd put two and two together."

Futaba threw her head back and her arms out with a dramatic "NOOOOoooo!"

Makoto rolled her eyes and shook her head at her. "I didn't say we _can't_ do it, but we should figure out some way to protect his identity, while still showing that this is all real." She tapped a finger to her chin. "Couldn't you do something with those silly filters that add panda ears and floating hearts to videos?"

Futaba briefly smirked at Akira, immediately and correctly guessing where Makoto's experience with those particular chat effects came from, then scoffed with a confident grin at Makoto. "Pfft, that's all noob shit! I can do waaaaay cooler stuff with After Effects. Remember Shido's Calling Card? This is gonna be a Professional Operation!"

She whipped out her phone and swiftly sent a message.

Oracle: Inari, Art Stuff at Leblanc, right now!

Inari: I shall come at once.

"Hmm, black and red may be a bit cliché, but if we wish to continue with the Anarcho-Expressionist aesthetic we espoused as Thieves, it would perhaps still be the best option."

Yusuke tapped a finger to his chin as he considered the short sample video of Morgana that Futaba had taken to test the angles of the two cameras she had set up, one showing him from the front and one over his shoulder to show his typing. She nodded and adjusted a few settings, and the image transformed into a stylish assemblage of shapes and contrasts, the 'cat' at its center still recognizable as such, but with striking crimson eyes. 

Futaba scratched her chin and regarded the change with a conflicted frown. "It looks cool, but is this still gonna look real, and not like some kinda fancy mo-cap?"

Makoto shrugged, hands on her hips. "That may be a trade-off we'll have to make. Unless we just pixelated his face, I'm afraid anything that would sufficiently disguise his identity would likely leave plausible doubt regarding the veracity of our claims."

Akira nodded in agreement, chin in hand. "Besides, even if we put out the undoctored video, I'm guessing a lot of people would still think it's just really good animation. People aren't gonna be able to readily accept that a 'cat' is really talking to them."

Makoto turned to Morgana, still sitting on his favorite pillow (the shumai cushion Makoto had given Akira on their trip to Chinatown) between the two cameras. "What do you think, Morgana? This is your big moment, after all. How would you like to go about it?"

He tilted his head with a thoughtful expression. "Well... if some people are gonna doubt it either way, but people at school might recognize me, I think we'd better go with the filter. And make sure it looks super cool, as befitting a Thief of my stature!"

Futaba rolled her eyes and made a few more adjustments, then turned her laptop to show Morgana himself with bunny ears, antlers, and a clown nose, as an ever increasing crowd of Pikachus wandered into the shot from the sides, eventually filling the scene and climbing across him. "How's this?"

In a nondescript room rendered in stark black and red, a catlike figure sat back on his haunches in the center of a cushion, a tablet in front of him. He tapped the screen, and it lit up. Then he began tapping away confidently. A change in angle showed his paws moving across the screen with clear intent, as the words began to form. As he hit enter the angle changed back to his face, as the text to speech began and he waved to the camera.

"Hello, my name is Morgana. You may be wondering how a cat learned to type. First things first: I am not a cat. I was created by..." He stopped to think for a moment before continuing to type. "...well, not exactly a god, but a Being who maintains dimensions that can at times come into contact with what we normally call 'Reality'."

"I am also..." He paused dramatically, looking straight into the camera in front of him with a smug cat grin. "...a Phantom Thief! Thanks to the efforts of my team, we were able to prevent a cataclysm that threatened our Reality, but as a result the contact between us and those dimensions has been cut off."

He let out a sad, thoughtful sigh. "As the one remaining piece of concrete evidence that those dimensions exist, I have decided that people should have access to the truth about the Metaverse." He looked up at the camera with determination. "So, let me tell you a bit about where I'm from, and what we did."

_lol plz this has gott o b teh bigest of bulshit ive ever sen. lol taking cat wtf_

A despondent Morgana read through the comments on his first video, most of which were some variation of "fake and dumb". 

A marginally less despondent Futaba gave him a reassuring scratch behind the ear. "Eh, everyone knows the comment section is a godless hellhole anyway."

Akira chuckled and tapped a finger to his chin. "Reminds me of when we first started. No one believed in us. That's just how it goes in our line of work."

Makoto sighed and gently picked Morgana up onto her lap, giving his shoulders a calming massage. "All you can do is tell the truth, people will believe what they want."

Akira turned to her with a smirk, clearly having something in mind. "It's different, though, seeing him do it in person."

She smiled, already seeing his plan. "Our Confidants."

He nodded. "Hifumi already knows about him, so it shouldn't be _too_ shocking."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be clear, when Futaba says "everyone knows the comment section is a godless hellhole," she meant _every other comment section_. Not this comment section. You're cool and nice.


	24. Response

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgana and Chie meet a couple confidants

"Okay, promise me you won't freak out."

"Uuuuh, I can't really know if I'm gonna freak out until I see it, but okay..."

"Hi, Mishima!"

Mishima looked around nervously for the source of the voice. "Um, w-who said that?"

Morgana, sitting in Akira's bag with his tablet, raised a paw and waved. "I did!"

Yuuki Mishima's eyes went very wide, and he began to wobble dangerously, looking like he might collapse. Makoto held out a gentle hand to steady him. "I realize that it's a lot to take in, but it's true. Morgana has been a part of the team from the beginning. People who have been to the Metaverse can understand him normally, but we've only recently worked out means for him to communicate with others."

On Akira's other side, Chie shrugged with a sympathetic grin. "I've seen some pretty weird stuff, but hearing Mona talk for the first time was definitely a trip."

Mishima closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then nodded. "M-maybe I should sit down for this..."

Wanting both to introduce Morgana to their confidants and to show Chie a bit more of Tokyo before she headed back to Inaba, Akira and Makoto decided that the two goals could be combined, with the added benefit of Chie meeting some of their friends. After bringing most of Makoto's things back to the Niijima sisters' apartment (since she would be moving into the dorms again soon, they agreed to keep her plant with Akira's in Leblanc's attic, much to Akira's relief), the quartet headed to Shibuya to see Mishima, who had taken Akira's old position at Rafflesia, during his lunch break.

Mishima had been surprised enough to learn that not only was last year's student council president a Phantom Thief, but was also dating Akira. It would be an understatement to say that it was a shock finding out that the Phantom Thieves' methods, regarding which Akira had always been reticent, involved going into a supernatural alternate dimension to fight demons, and that other such events had happened in other places before. But it was hearing Morgana speak, bringing the supernatural element from the theoretical to the undeniably present, that was a bit too much.

Finding seats near the juice stand, they sipped their drinks (no longer on a constant time crunch for self improvement, Akira declined the aojiru) while Mishima calmed down and processed all that he'd learned. As the Phantom Thieves' #1 fan and the admin of the Phansite, he had never dreamed that his heroes were doing something both so dangerous and so frankly unbelievable, but disbelief wasn't really an option when a cat who could type was explaining it to him. He turned to Akira and Makoto in awe. "You guys are like... like superheroes or something."

Blushing, both shook their heads, but Chie laughed and nudged Makoto with her elbow. "I mean, you kinda are. Special powers, fighting crime, hell you even had secret identities and badass costumes! You're totally superheroes!"

Makoto grimaced and gave her an uncomfortable look. "If we are, I daresay you're every bit as much of one, but I don't really like to think of it in those terms. It makes me feel a bit... well, inhuman, as though we were some uncanny Other masquerading as people."

Akira nodded with a thoughtful frown. "I hated the whole Wild Card, Chosen One thing. It was tough enough keeping a secret that no one would have believed if I could have told them, without feeling like some... Almighty Thing had decided to put the fate of the fucking world on me of all people."

Makoto gave him a soft smile and laid a gentle, comforting hand on his back. "We're people, first and foremost. We simply found ourselves in situations that we couldn't just accept, and were offered the ability to fight back. Once we had those powers, to not use them would be to accept the continuation of suffering that we might have prevented."

Mishima gave them an incredulous, amazed look. "'With great power comes great responsibility.' I don't wanna make you feel, um, abnormal, but you're _definitely_ special. I mean just look at all the people who see injustice and choose to look the other way. But you _didn't_, you stood up and actually _did_ something about it. _That's_ what makes you superheroes, not being from space, or mutants, or anything like that."

Makoto gave him an appreciative smile. "Well, I'm still not sure that I'm entirely comfortable thinking of myself as a 'superhero', but I think that is a rather good way to look at it. I won't deny that as I was investigating the Thieves, I did come to find them quite noble." She turned to Akira with an affectionate smirk. "Especially their leader."

She nodded seriously, with a look of determination. "And I fully intend to continue fighting for Justice in every way that I can. With or without special powers, I will never turn a blind eye to suffering, or allow the wicked to prey on others."

Akira leaned over to give her an affectionate nuzzle. "That's why I love you. Well, there are A Lot of reasons I love you, but that's a big one."

"Alright, stick out your tongue and say, I don't know, 'nyaaa' or something. Then I'd like to do some blood work. God I wish I had facilities to do an fMRI or a PET scan."

Akira smirked. "Not a CAT scan?"

Everyone groaned, and Takemi rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Nowadays it's called a CT scan, and they're typically used for physical anomalies and traumas. I want to trace neural activity and figure out how a cat sized brain functions at a human level of intelligence."

Morgana looked between Takemi and Akira, eyes wide with fear. "B-blood work?"

Makoto smiled down at him and gave his ear a reassuring scratch. "Don't worry, it'll only pinch for a moment, and I'm sure Dr. Takemi would like very much to learn everything she can about you. I don't think medical science has ever seen anything like you."

Takemi nodded and gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Makoto." She turned back to Morgana with an excited grin. "She's absolutely right. You're the most intriguing subject I've ever encountered, and I can't wait to figure out what makes you tick."

Makoto and Takemi had first met under less than ideal circumstances, as both of them worked to nurse Akira back to health after the interrogation, but their shared burden had instilled an immediate respect between the two. Takemi was exactly the type of woman Makoto hoped to become: brilliant, driven, and dedicated to her own personal quest to end suffering (she wasn't sure she could pull off her style, but occasionally found herself looking into some punk clothes, wondering if Akira would like that look on her). For Tae's part, Makoto reminded her of a younger her, not quite fully comfortable in herself yet, but already impressive, and with potential to achieve anything she put her mind to.

Contact between the two continued during Akira's time in juvie, both in Makoto's work coordinating Akira's confidants to fight for his release, and in more... private consultations regarding her relationship with him going forward. Sae was busy enough doing her own part for him, and Makoto was worried that if she knew her intentions with him she might decide to keep him behind bars, so Tae had become something of a mentor in preparing her for their first time. Of course she had teased her a little bit about it at first, quickly deducing from her nervousness exactly what she was there for, but once they got down to actual discussions she was all business, and very helpful.

Morgana gave Takemi a nervous, conflicted look, then began to type. "I'm really that special?"

Takemi gave him a warm, genuine smile and scratched under his chin. "One of a kind." She rolled her eyes and leaned back with a frustrated sigh. "Not that I'll ever be able to publish any of it. No one's going to believe this, but I can keep all of you updated on any findings, so you might find out something new about yourself."

Morgana thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. Just be gentle." He opened wide and stuck out his tongue. "Nyaaaaaaaa."

Takemi quickly depressed his tongue and examined his throat, looking for anything that might explain his uncanny ability to communicate with Persona users while sounding like just a cat to others. With an inconclusive hum, she turned to write down her initial findings, then returned her attention to him with a syringe in hand. Morgana eyed the needle nervously and hid his head under Akira's arm. "I better get sushi after this."

Throughout Morgana's exam, Chie remained uncharacteristically silent and thoughtful, something clearly on her mind, but as they prepared to head out, she held a quick, quiet conversation with Tae. A bit tentative at first, by the end both were laughing congenially. 

As she joined the rest of them in the lobby, Makoto gave her a questioning look. Chie grinned with a bit of a blush. "Oh, um, I was just asking if she knew any good bars for when Yukiko and I come to Tokyo together. Of course we're gonna hit up Crossroads, but we kinda want to experience more of the scene."

Makoto raised a confused eyebrow. "The scene?" Her eyes widened with the realization. "Dr. Takemi is..."

Chie quickly nodded, with a sheepish smile. "I wasn't 100% sure, but I had a feeling from the second I met her." She winked. "There's more of us than you might think."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of these days I'll do that Sae/Tae fic.


	25. Moves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Broadening Horizons

Makoto, Akira, and Chie stepped off the train at Motomachi-Chukagai station, Chie giddy with excitement (even moreso than usual) as they approached Yokohama Chukagai. Out of anywhere in the Greater Tokyo Area, Japan's largest Chinatown was the one place she most wanted to visit before heading home to Inaba, and Makoto and Akira were happy to show her around, having come for a memorable date while the Thieves were still active.

Chie looked up in awe as they passed under Choyomon Gate into the narrow streets of shops and food stands, and was intantly drawn to the smell of fresh steamed pork buns. As she began to drift off towards the nearest stand with a dreamy expression, Makoto held her back with a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps we should save our appetites for something a bit more substantial. I believe there was a good place for dim sum near here."

Chie nodded with a resigned sigh. "Okay, we can stop in and fuel up, but I _do_ wanna try some street food before we leave." She planted her hands on her hips and looked around with a serious expression. "More important, I gotta find a clothes store. I need a new Wing Chun uniform, mine's getting... kinda ratty." She blushed with a sheepish grin. "And... I wanna get something nice for Yukiko."

Makoto gave her an approving smile. "Alright, we'll keep our eyes open for anything that looks promising on the way to the restaurant." She pulled out her phone, tapping a finger to her chin as she scrolled through dining spots. "Hmm, it looks like Shofukumon is closest, and it's all you can eat, so we can try a little bit of everything."

Chie's eyes lit up at the promise of all you can eat dim sum, and she pumped a fist with an enthusiastic grin as they made their way down the alley towards the restaurant, examining the various wares on display along the way. While there was no shortage of souvenirs for sale, nothing struck Chie as good enough to express her love for Yukiko, until they passed a small, nondescript mom and pop boutique.

Displayed in the window was an elegant qipao of vibrant, crimson silk, with delicate golden tracing of a fenghuang flying over a blossoming cherry tree. Chie stopped instantly and turned to stare at the dress, then grimaced at the price tag. "Well, that's definitely gonna put a dent in my beef bowl budget, but she's gonna look amazing in it."

Makoto turned to her with an impressed raise of an eyebrow. "I didn't realize you had such an eye for fashion, Chie."

Chie gave her a bashful grin. "I don't. I have an eye for Yukiko."

In addition to buying the dress, Chie got a tip from the shopkeeper on a store specializing in martial arts equipment where she could replace her worn out uniform. After stuffing themselves on dim sum, with even Makoto indulging well past her normal limit, at both Akira and Chie's gentle nudging, they sought out the location, and Chie got a new black Wing Chun uniform embroidered with a green dragon.

As the trio wandered more or less aimlessly through the neighborhood, enjoying the boisterous atmosphere while Chie enjoyed an enormous steamed bun (her appetite for meat seeming nearly insatiable), a store displaying various Go sets caught Makoto's eye. She tried to hide her eagerness with a finger thoughtfully tapping her chin, but Akira immediately saw through her attempt at obfuscation and gave her a knowing smirk. "Something new to play with Hifumi?"

She blushed and smiled. "And with you, if you'd like."

He gave her a playful smirk and affectionately brushed her side. "I'd play just about anything with you."

With a very nice (but not extravagant) Go set in hand, the group continued their meanderings, and as they rounded a corner it became apparent that their path wasn't as aimless as it appeared. Makoto's jaw dropped and her eyes lit up as Panda Memorabilia came into view, offering panda related trinkets and sweets of every possible description. 

Akira squeezed her shoulder with a very pleased grin at her obvious excitement. "I can't believe we missed this place the last time we came here. It's not Buchi-kun, but I figured you might find something you like."

She hopped up onto her toes to give him a quick but affectionate kiss before skipping off to inspect the various panda themed goods, and Chie softly elbowed Akira's side with a grin. "She's super cute when she gets like that."

He just smiled and nodded, and they followed Makoto into the store, both chuckling at her undeniable cuteness.

"By all means, take your time and consider your move carefully."

Morgana furrowed his brow and frowned thoughtfully at the board before him on the table in Leblanc, then tentatively reached out a paw and pushed a piece forward. He smiled up at Hifumi and tapped at his tablet. "How about this?"

Hifumi chuckled and immediately moved in response. "Not bad, but remember to protect your flanks. Look at the entire board state, and don't get tunnel vision. If you only focus on the pieces you're using in the moment, your opponent can easily reverse your attacks."

Morgana nervously scanned the board, then dropped his head to his paws as he realized the trap he had just fallen into. He grimaced as he tried to work out some way out of Hifumi's snare, then lit up as he spotted a piece on his back line that could stave off her advance. 

He confidently moved it up into a defensive position, and Hifumi smiled proudly down at him. "Very good, Morgana. You have a good eye for recognizing the potential in your pieces, especially those that seem to be in disadvantageous positions. However..."

She leapt her knight forward across his front line, taking his rook and threatening his king with her lance. Morgana's jaw dropped as he stared, aghast, at the even bigger mess she had put him in. After thoroughly examining every possible move, he groaned and turned to his tablet. "I concede. Guess I should've paid more attention when you were teaching Joker."

Hifumi giggled and reached across the board to give him a conciliatory scratch under the chin. "You did very well for your first time. You have a lot of potential. If you keep practicing with Akira and Makoto, I think you could be quite formidable."

"Good timing, anyway." Akira and Makoto returned from Leblanc's kitchen with plates of curry salmon for the four of them, setting them down as Hifumi cleared her board and pieces and joining them in the booth. Akira gave Morgana a reassuring scratch on the back. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I _still_ can't beat Hifumi. I have no idea how Makoto does it, other than that she's generally incredible."

Makoto shrugged with a bit of a blush. "In fairness, I've only ever won a few matches. Hifumi is still in another league entirely."

Hifumi giggled and affectionately tapped her hand. "I'm only thankful that you haven't fully dedicated your talents to Shogi. You would be a truly fearsome rival."

Makoto shrugged and gave her a bashful smile. "I don't know that I would go that far. I've always been interested in strategy and game theory, but I... didn't really have anyone to play with regularly until you. Akira and I play occasionally, but we're often preoccupied by our... other studies. It would take a great deal for me to approach your level of mastery."

Hifumi gave her an amused smirk. "I think there's a great deal of value in your interdisciplinary approach. Shogi is, for the most part, the extent of my real skills. While you take it seriously, for you it's one aspect of your many interests, and the breadth of your knowledge both informs your approach and finds novel uses for its principles elsewhere. You have your central passion, but you've broadened your horizons past it."

Makoto turned to Akira with a pleased grin. "Akira is the one most responsible for that. Before I met him, I was a bit of a robot, focusing exclusively on academics." She softly brushed his cheek. "While I'm still fairly diligent in my studies, he showed me that there's so much more to life than what I can learn from a book."

He took her hand and pressed an affectionate kiss to her fingers. "I believe it was you who had the idea of broadening your horizons in the first place, so I can hardly take credit for that. I just wanted to help you become the person you wanted to be."

She leaned lightly on his shoulder. "I would never have realized who I am and who I want to be without you." 

She turned to Hifumi with a soft smile. "And I wouldn't say that Shogi is your 'only skill'. Playing at your level is a whole set of skills in itself, not just tactical thinking, but reading your opponent and planning ahead. You have many talents as well." Flirting, for one. She reached across the table and rested a hand on hers. "And we're all still young. You have plenty of time to broaden your own horizons if you want to. It's quite satisfying."

Hifumi nodded with a thoughtful hum and savored another bite of fish. 

When they had finished their meal, Makoto pulled the bag from Chinatown up onto the table. "Speaking of broadening our horizons, I was wondering if you'd like to try playing Go. It would give us some experience in a different mode of strategic thinking, playing an additive game rather than subtractive."

Hifumi gave her a surprised but intrigued smile. "Oh? I've played a little Go, but I can't say that I'm particularly good. The level of complexity as the game state develops is quite daunting at first. I've heard that the number of legal board states is greater than the number of atoms in the known universe."

Makoto nodded and pulled out the Go set. "I've played a few rounds against AI online, but I'm definitely a beginner as well. I thought... it would give us an opportunity to learn something new together."

Hifumi smiled warmly. "That sounds lovely, Makoto."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Panda Memorabilia is a real store in Yokohama Chinatown, and I am shocked that there's no mention of it in Makoto's date there.


	26. Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Relax Gel, Part II

Huddled around the board on Akira's bed, Hifumi's eyes sharpened on the grid of black and white stones between her and Makoto, her lips parting ever so slightly (in a way that Makoto found intensely attractive) as she considered her next move. After careful assessment of the territories both players were developing, she placed a black stone, beginning a flanking maneuver around an advancing arm of Makoto's white stones, then looked up at her opponent with a confident smile. Makoto nodded and tapped a finger to her chin, acknowledging Hifumi's plans before analyzing the developing board state, formulating and modifying her own plans and contingency plans, her eyes narrowing and brow lightly furrowing in thought (in a way that Hifumi found unaccountably sexy).

It immediately became apparent in their first match that whereas Hifumi had a significant advantage in Shogi, when they were playing a game in which they were more or less equally inexperienced, she and Makoto were an even match, and both of them found the new dynamic thoroughly enjoyable. While Makoto was perfectly happy learning Shogi from a master as skillful (among other things) as Hifumi, and Hifumi was quite pleased with her de facto protégé's rapidly developing skills, they relished the opportunity to face each other not as teacher and student, but as equal opponents. Neither had put much time into studying the broader strategic theories at play in Go's highest levels, but both were skilled enough tacticians to quickly develop their own grasp of the game's flow.

Hifumi's style tended toward the more aggressive, pushing the pace of the game and making bold plays to try and bait her opponent into a poor move. Makoto was more defensive, patiently developing her board in a way that anticipated and reversed Hifumi's aggression. Akira, who was vaguely familiar with Go but had never played himself, sat out the first round, but by the time they finished (a narrow victory for Hifumi), had a reasonably good idea of how to play, and was beginning to develop his own strategies. While he wasn't quite a match for either of them, his own unorthodox, adaptive style kept both on their toes in a way that was quite satisfying for all involved. Makoto was, of course, very pleased to have found something new that they could all enjoy together.

"Hmm, perhaps I could practice my kinbaku knots on you." Hifumi smirked as she laid down her stone. "Or maybe a little pet play. I think you would look very cute on a leash."

One advantage of Makoto and Hifumi's even matching in Go was that the uncertainty of victory let them play with real stakes. Their game of Shogi had been largely a foregone conclusion, a pretext for the other play they wanted to engage in. It was much more exciting when there was really something on the line, even if both were happy either way. 

After a few normal games between the three of them to acclimate themselves, Hifumi proposed a match with Makoto with a bit of added risk. The stakes were implicit, but understood. Both of them increasingly comfortable with either control or surrender, the outcome of the game would determine who was on top in their other games that evening. 

Makoto was not averse to trying a little rope play with Hifumi, but she was averse to losing, and had no intention of giving the game anything less than her all. Fully aware that Hifumi was trying to fluster her into a mistake with all the things she wanted to do to her, Makoto instead closed her eyes with a focusing breath, and let Queen take the wheel.

Opening her eyes, Queen gave Hifumi a smoldering glare and a dangerous smirk. "How do you feel about anal, Hifumi?" She asked in a casual tone and laid her stone down, her smirk growing as Hifumi's eyes widened nervously. "Personally, I rather enjoy it."

That was an understatement, and while Queen's play was in part to reverse Hifumi's own attempts to catch her off guard, she was also very interested in finding out if she would also enjoy it. Makoto momentarily broke character and gave Akira a questioning glance, making sure he would be okay with playing a fairly integral role, and he let her know with an amused roll of his eyes that he was on board. She smiled and leaned over to give him a quick kiss before resuming her playful glare at Hifumi.

Hifumi swallowed heavily and cleared her throat as she collected herself and attempted to focus on the board state. "I... can't say that I'd ever given... that... much thought, but I would be... willing to try. Assuming you can win, of course." Queen took satisfied note of the almost imperceptible uncertainty in Hifumi's hand as she laid down her stone.

"...and with standard komi..." Makoto performed some quick mental calculations, then gave Hifumi a very pleased smile. "I believe I've won."

Hifumi let out a disappointed huff, more displeased with losing than what that meant. "By a single point, but yes. I am yours to do with as you please tonight, Queen."

Makoto gave her a reassuring smile and brushed her cheek. "You're sure you want to?"

Hifumi looked scandalized that her honor would be questioned. "Of course! I lost." She broke character and gave Makoto an appreciative grin. "I trust you."

Makoto beamed at her and leaned across the board to give her an affectionate kiss. "Don't worry, we'll be very gentle, and we'll stop immediately if you don't like it, but I love it, and I hope you'll enjoy too." She stood and offered Hifumi her hand. "Come on, I'll help you get ready." She turned to Akira with a suggestive smirk. "Ten minutes, the attic."

"This always helps me relax, and trust me, you're going to want to be as relaxed as possible." Sitting behind Hifumi, on her elbows and knees on the cot in Leblanc's attic, Makoto gently spread her cheeks and pushed in to press a tentative tongue to her anus. 

While it was true that Makoto's primary reason for doing this was to get Hifumi ready for everything else they were about to try, she had a bit of an ulterior motive. Still a little incredulous about how enthusiastic Akira was to do this for her, she wanted to try it out for herself, and see what all the hype was about. She was considering trying it on him sometime when she was really, _really_ happy with him, but as nice as his butt was, Hifumi's seemed a bit more pleasant to try for her first time on this end of the equation.

Her first impression was that this was, once again, far less unpleasant than she had worried. The two of them had cleaned up thoroughly in preparation (as it was seeing a fair bit of use, at Chie and Yukiko's sincere recommendation Makoto had purchased a more comfortable enema set, kept hidden deep in one of her bags in Akira's room), and while Hifumi's ass had a bit of a lightly musky, earthy flavor, it was about as far from dirty as possible. While she preferred the taste of her pussy, this wasn't bad at all, and if she tasted anything like this, it wasn't much of a surprise that Akira indulged her without hesitation.

After an initial surprised gasp, Hifumi was clearly enjoying the treatment as well, humming into the sheets as she achieved a state of bonelessness that Makoto was intimately familiar with. Makoto giggled musically at Hifumi's Extreme Relaxation and pressed a quick, playful kiss to her anus before pulling back and tracing her fingertips lightly along her crack. "I'm going to use my fingers now, and get you used to stretching a little bit, alright?" Hifumi nodded into the sheets, and Makoto laid a slender finger on her anus, rubbing a few gentle circles before slowly pushing in.

Watching all of this from the couch, Akira could honestly say that he had never imagined that he would see his girlfriend eagerly eating _her_ girlfriend's ass, getting her ready for _him_, but he was more than happy to join Makoto in broadening their horizons together. He considered himself pretty open minded, and was both very pleased and kind of amazed at how adventurous Makoto was becoming. He had always wanted her to progress things at her own pace, and their time in Inaba had demonstrated that she (correctly) considered that an invitation to try everything she wanted with him. She clearly had no intention of slowing the pace of their mutual learning now. Neither did he.

With Hifumi about as ready as she could possibly be, Makoto stood and motioned for Akira to join them. Squirting a dollop of lube into her palm, she gave his cock a few affectionate strokes, ensuring that he was nice and slick (the sight of them had him otherwise quite ready), then climbed back onto the bed and scooched her legs under Hifumi's arms, pulling in close and giving her some support. She gently cupped Hifumi's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. "He's going to put it in now. It might be a bit... overwhelming at first. Just try to relax, and remember that we'll stop at any time if you want us to." Hifumi nodded, a little nervous but very excited, and Makoto leaned forward to give her a soft, calming kiss as Akira lined up and gently pressed forward.

Hifumi's eyes went very wide as the head slipped in, and she squeaked out an astonished "Oh!" and pressed her face into Makoto's shoulder. Makoto reached around to rub slow, comforting circles on her back as she whispered encouragement and reminders to relax. She knew firsthand exactly how difficult it could be keeping calm when dealing with so many intense sensations, and how important relaxing was to enjoying the experience. She glanced up at Akira with a wordless reminder to be as gentle as he could be, and he nodded with a grin that said he knew she knew he knew exactly what he was doing. She rolled her eyes with a quiet scoff, reminding him that while yes, she _did_ know that he knew what he was doing, Hifumi was still inexperienced, and there would be dire consequences if he got a bit overly enthusiastic and hurt her.

While Makoto's concern was understandable, it was also unnecessary. Akira gave her a more serious smile and slowly, slooowly rocked forward, and Hifumi let out a tense hum into Makoto's shoulder as she brought up one hand to wrap around her, pulling her closer. Makoto smiled down at her and affectionately stroked her hair, leaning down to press  
a soft kiss to the back of her neck. "How are you doing, Hifumi? Do you want to slow down a little? Should we stop?"

Hifumi quickly shook her head against Makoto, and managed a single word through the very intense sensations she was feeling. "Go."

Makoto glanced back up at Akira, sharing playful smirks, and nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 420!


	27. Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU8OJAOMbPg

Pi! Pi! Pi!

Pipipipii~.

Akira and Makoto's phones both went off early the next morning. Fairly worn out from a very exciting evening, Makoto slowly opened her eyes and gently disentangled an arm from Akira and Hifumi, reaching over to check who was messaging them.

Yusuke: Would you be available to model for me today?

She yawned and gave the message a noncommittal hum before typing a response.

Makoto: Akira is still asleep. We'll discuss it when he wakes up.

Then she set her phone down, closed her eyes, and snuggled back in between Akira and Hifumi. They could deal with this later. Right now, she was far too comfortable.

When they had properly woken up, Makoto and Akira joined Hifumi on the train as far as her Shibuya transfer, to send off their Inaba friends. While Naoto and Kanji were relatively stoic about the parting, Chie was a bit emotional, torn between her desire to see Yukiko again and her desire to spend more time with Makoto and Akira, but while both of them were very high on her list of favorite people, the top spot was securely occupied, and its occupant was operating a hot springs inn back home. 

With a bit of a sniffle, she gave each of them sad bear hugs. "Man, I'm gonna miss you guys. We _totally_ gotta get together again real soon. Yukiko and me will figure out when we can come up for a _real_ vacation, no bullshit to deal with, so we can have some real fun."

Makoto nodded with a warm, affectionate smile. "Absolutely. Akira and I plan to come up to Inaba for Respect for the Aged Day weekend as well, so Morgana and The Fox can see each other. It won't be too long before we can spend more time together."

The promise of seeing them again in a few weeks was enough to rekindle Chie's smile, and she gave each of them a playful cuff on the arm. "Well, don't go getting soft on me in the meantime. You know I'll be training, and I'm gonna want to see what you can do."

She lowered her voice to a (relatively) discreet whisper and lightly nudged Makoto with her elbow. "And, uh, good luck with your, y'know, _thing_. It's seriously awesome that you guys are all working out and having a good time. If you ever need any, um, advice on stuff to do with a girl, Yukiko and me are always happy to help out."

Blushing deeply, Makoto gave her an appreciative grin. "You've both already helped a great deal in that regard. I think we're figuring things out fairly well, but it could be quite nice to, um, discuss some aspects of it together. And if I do have any questions, you'll be the first ones I'll ask."

Chie beamed and gave them each one more much happier bear hug before grabbing her bags. "Well, I'm totally gonna cry if we keep dragging out the goodbyes. Let's just say 'see you soon,' and you two stay amazing, and stay in love. You're the cutest couple I know."

Akira grinned and gave her a friendly clap on the shoulder. "If I can promise one thing, we'll stay in love. Give Yukiko our regards and let her know we'll be coming up soon."

With a sniffle and a determined nod, Chie turned and followed Naoto and Kanji to their platform.

"So, uhhh, what exactly should we _do_?"

Yusuke continued rummaging around his studio, setting up his paints and canvas. "I wish to capture the essence of Love in its natural form. Whatever you consider to be the natural expression of your mutual desires would be suitable as a subject."

Makoto and Akira shared a look, more than a little confused by the less than exact direction. Akira shrugged and gently tipped Makoto's chin up, leaning down to meet her in a soft, affectionate kiss. She melted into him with a quiet sigh into his mouth.

"Yes! Perfect! Now, hold that position." Both of them turned with wide eyes at Yusuke's exultant exclamation, and he shook his head with a frustrated sigh as he framed them with his fingers before turning back to his canvas. "Please, resume what you were doing."

Makoto turned back to Akira with a conflicted raise of an eyebrow, tapping an uncertain finger to her chin. "I'm not sure that standing entirely still while we hold a kiss would really be the most natural 'expression of our desires'. We usually... _move_ a bit."

Akira thought for a moment, then smiled and rested a hand on Makoto's hip, turning them to directly face one another. He brought his other hand up to lightly brush her cheek, and stood, stock-still, looking deep into her eyes with a contented, amorous grin.

It was by no means fair how such a simple touch could still bring a hot blush to Makoto's cheek, but two could play that game. She held his waist with one hand and brought the other up to rest on his chest, giving him a playful smirk as she felt his heartbeat speed up.

Not wanting to spook his subjects again, Yusuke quietly hummed his approval and set to work. Makoto and Akira held their poses, challenging each other to resist the urge to get closer as they conversed through the deep, intimate contact between their eyes.

Of the many, many things Akira found attractive about Makoto, her eyes were very close to the top of the list. The unusual, crimson irises of the Niijima clan sparkled with her brilliance and flashed with her resolve and burned with her passion, perpetually active with the machinations of her mind. For someone who was often quite soft-spoken, her eyes were the outward expression of the depth of thought and emotion she experienced.

He occasionally dreamed of the way she looked at him the day she caught them, how powerless but how strangely at peace he felt under the intensity of her gaze. While he rationally knew that she posed an existential threat to the continuation of the Phantom Thieves, the deadly serious question beneath the accusation in her eyes gave him faith (as foolish as it felt in the moment) that she believed in them, and he in turn believed in her.

With the benefit of hindsight, he may have begun falling for her in earnest when she demanded they prove their Justice. He could infer easily enough that Kobayakawa had tasked her with discovering and turning in the Thieves, but he saw in the conflict and the sincerity in her eyes that she desperately wanted them to be the agents of Justice they claimed to be, and found himself wanting just as desperately to prove himself to her.

When a cruel dismissal from Ann had her running recklessly into danger, the look in her eyes had shaken him to his core. While he only found out later how deeply Sae had wounded her, he knew the depth of pain she showed in that moment all too well. She had done everything she believed to be right and had received only suffering, betrayed by every authority in her life, alone and rudderless. He had worn those eyes, sitting in a cell.

Queen's eyes were a revelation. Her iron will and razor intellect blazed from behind her mask, the implacable Fist of Justice fighting by his side. While he may have started falling for her with her demand to prove their Justice, with her Awakening he was definitely falling for her, and hard. Seeing the true form of her own deep sense of Justice, in concert with his own, meant everything. And god was she ever fucking hot riding Johanna.

Makoto's eyes, once he really got to know her, were a subtle, charming symphony of all the complicated, deeply impressive, often adorable things that made her Makoto. From her motherly concern for the other Thieves, to her firm and admirable belief in Justice, to her frustration at the eternally futile quest to get Ryuji to study for once, to the way they lit up in the cutest way possible at the sight of anything and everything Buchi-kun. 

But the eyes that he loved the most were the eyes she only showed him, the vulnerable, open, trusting eyes he had spent countless hours rapturously reading since they became Study Partners. Eyes that told him how much every day together meant to her, how happy she was to share their lives and thoughts and feelings and bodies. The eyes that told him, in no uncertain terms, just how much she loved him. The eyes she wore now.

Of the innumerable qualities Makoto found attractive about Akira, his eyes were very close to the top of the list. The calm, approachable pools of cool grey held a depth of feeling and perception and empathy that could be a little bit breathtaking at times. For someone who had experienced deep injustice, his eyes kept a playful optimism, a hope for the potential of good people to rise above adversity, even if it meant changing the world.

She occasionally dreamed of the way he looked at her the day she caught them, the (understandable) fear of the power she held over him mixed with a disarming innocence, and a strange sense of calm. Not only did he clearly believe in the Justice of what they were doing, but he seemed to see in her the capacity and the desire to recognize that Justice. It was entirely irrational, but there was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to believe in him.

With the benefit of hindsight, she may have started falling for him when she offered the Thieves her ultimatum. While the others were (understandably) quite hostile, he was different. His immediate response was a concerned, thoughtful look, taking in the problem and beginning his plan of action. She could barely look him in the eyes with how terrible she felt doing this to them, but his eyes held no malice towards her, only will to do the right thing. She had wished, more than anything, that she could join him.

Joker's eyes were, well, fucking hot were the only words that really adequately described them, as much as she chided herself for sounding like Eiko. His boundless confidence and playful elegance radiated from behind his mask, the fearless leader of their improbable band of misfit vigilantes. Her crush on him was immediate and enormous, and it took her well into their time together as Study Partners to not see him as way out of her league.

Her heart had broken at the look in his eyes after the interrogation. While he tried to put on a brave face for the Thieves, he couldn't hide the harrowed, shaken undercurrent lurking beneath his confident façade, not from her. She had gently coaxed him to open up once they were alone, as she bandaged him up, and while he still had his emotional scars, it meant everything to see the faint glimmer of his beautiful light return to his eyes as they lay together following a long and loud cry on her shoulder.

Akira's eyes, once she really got to know him, were an adventure, at once exciting and comfortable, all of the charming, compassionate, playful, at times infuriatingly inscrutable things that made him Akira. From his nurturing, protective concern for his de facto little sister, to his sudden interest in some place they had passed by a hundred times, to the way he listened to everyone with his full attention, to the way he smiled at Morgana's antics.

But the eyes that she loved the most were the eyes he only showed her, the vulnerable, open, trusting eyes she had spent countless hours rapturously reading since they became Study Partners. Eyes that told her how much every day together meant to him, how happy he was to share their lives and thoughts and feelings and bodies. The eyes that told her, in no uncertain terms, just how much he loved her. The eyes he wore now.

Yusuke's piece was magnificent, from the comfortable, affectionate contact between them to the tangible energy flickering between their eyes. Makoto and Akira were both awestruck, but Yusuke gave it a thoughtful frown. "My one regret is that the perspective gives only half of your beautiful expressions, but I dare not approach it from any other angle. You are both equally important subjects, to focus on the face of one of you at the expense of the other would destroy the balance of the piece."

Akira shrugged with a grin. "That's the half that we can outwardly show. The whole look is only between the two of us."

Yusuke nodded with an approving hum and tapped a finger to his chin. "Is that then the fundamental problem of expressing Love through art? The divide between the esoteric experience of loving and the exoteric phenomena of lovers."

Makoto gave him a warm smile. "Well, maybe you'll find someone you can paint looking at you the way we look at each other."

He gave her a subtle, thoughtful grin. "I must admit, that would be quite beautiful." 

When Makoto and Akira had left, he returned to critically examining the painting. "I _do_ wish that they had agreed to my initial concept. The physical act of lovemaking has such untapped potential for dynamic composition, so many expressive possibilities."

Pipii Pipii.

Oracle: If you wanna do lewds, start writing fanfic.

Inari: Admittedly, I am not much of a writer, but I am intrigued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday, Queen!


	28. Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLO7tCdBVrA

With the Niijima Sisters' apartment deemed safe to stay in, Makoto and Akira were enjoying each other's company on the couch after dinner (with plenty left over for Sis, if she was able to make it home that night). The quiet sounds of a Kurosawa marathon provided a soft background drone, forgotten in favor of cuddling up in one of their preferred cuddling while reading positions with a pair of good books. 

Setting her finger on the page, Makoto glanced up from the copy of _Seven Military Classics_ Hifumi had given her and asked Akira something terrifying.

"Akira, can we talk?" 

At Akira's immediate, extreme nervousness, Makoto quickly shook her head with a sheepish giggle. "I'm sorry, that probably wasn't the best way to put it. I promise, it's nothing bad." He mostly relaxed, but still held some tension from the influx of adrenaline, and she brought up a hand to gently stroke his chest until he calmed down. "It's just, with how quickly things have progressed between us and Hifumi, I thought we should discuss how we feel about, well, everything. I want to make sure that you're enjoying, that you're happy with our... situation, not just going along with all of this for my sake."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Akira pulled them closer together and gave her cheek an affectionate nuzzle with a soft laugh. "Makoto, 'enjoying' is a massive understatement. Being with my gorgeous, brilliant, adorable, incredible girlfriend and _her_ gorgeous, brilliant girlfriend almost feels too good to be true." He traced a line of light kisses up her neck to her ear. "I can assure you, I'm having the time of my life with you."

Smiling through her deep blush, Makoto rested her cheek on his shoulder and snuggled closer. "I'm glad. You certainly seem to be enjoying yourself. I just wanted to make sure." She squeezed him a little tighter, her brow furrowing lightly in thought. "I'll admit, I was a little worried at first that if you experienced what it was like... being with Hifumi, it would be... better than being with me, and you would realize that you had made a mistake, and regret... choosing me."

Akira shifted them and tipped her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Makoto, loving you is the best thing to ever happen to me, and nothing's going to change that." He gave her an uncharacteristically bashful grin. "To be honest, I kind of worried about the same thing. I can see how much Hifumi means to you, how excited and happy you are when you're with her. If it ever came to choosing between us, I can't say I'd be comfortable with you... giving that up for me."

Makoto gave him a warm, loving smile and pulled him down to lie with her on the couch, holding him, gentle but tight. "I love you both, and I hope it never comes to that choice, but I want to make it absolutely clear that you are uniquely special to me. Loving you is the best thing to ever happen to me as well, Akira, and nothing will ever change that." She tugged his collar down enough to press a kiss to his collarbones, smiling at his hum of pleasure. "We're in it together. Everything. And we'll make things work, together."

She glanced up at him with questioning eyes. "And you're... comfortable, with all of the things we've been experimenting with?"

He gave her a thoughtful grin. "It took a little getting used to, with Hifumi tying you up, and... everything else. Resisting the instinct that goes off whenever I feel like you might be in danger. Accepting that you aren't really in danger, and you're enjoying yourself. But what I want most is for you to be happy, so if it's good for you, I'll support you in anything... as long as it's safe." He leaned forward to rest his chin on her head with an amused smile. "And it's been something else seeing Makoto Niijima, World's Softest Top."

She giggled and nibbled lightly on his shoulder. "When I first asked Chie and Yukiko about how to be with a girl, their advice was to start with what I especially like, myself." She shifted her head from under his chin and gently held his hair, angling his face down to look her in the eyes. "And that, my charming Gentleman Thief, is you. I try to give her what you've always given me, because it's the most wonderful feeling I've ever experienced." With a playful grin, she leaned forward to give him a quick, soft kiss.

He beamed at her, and Makoto's heart swelled at how incomparably happy he looked hearing that. He leaned down to give her a gentle, affectionate kiss in return, then whispered in her ear. "When do you plan to introduce her to Queen On Top?"

She giggled and blushed scarlet, burying her face in his chest. "When I think she's ready." She pulled back and tapped a thoughtful finger to her chin. "Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure how the logistics of that would work. I don't think we could do it the same as I do with you, not to the same effect..."

She rolled partially and reached over for her phone on the coffee table.

Makoto: If you're available, I had a question. How could I be with Hifumi the way I am with Akira?

Chie: You mean a strapon?

Yukiko: Yes, a strapon should be suitable for your needs. Please be careful though, Makoto. Your hips are already a deadly weapon.

Chie: Man, I wish we thought of that when I was in Tokyo. We could've gone shopping.

Makoto: Thank you both, I'll look into where I can get one.

Yukiko: Our pleasure. Of course, such a tool could also be used with Akira, if you're so inclined.

Makoto turned to Akira with a nervous, questioning look, and he shrugged, equally nervous. "I mean, if you really want to, I'd give it a try, but I'm not really interested..."

She let out a tremendously relieved sigh, then giggled into his chest. "Oh, thank god. I feel the same way. I'd do it if you wanted me to, but I don't particularly want to..." She gave him a suggestive smirk. "...although I do have some other ideas I think you might enjoy."

At the sound of the apartment door opening, Makoto and Akira both quickly sat up, their heads popping up over the back of the couch as Sae entered, rolling her eyes at the couple with an exasperated sigh. Makoto waved sheepishly and squeaked a greeting. "Oh, hi Sis. There's dinner in the fridge, if you have time to eat. Akira and I were just, um, reading..."

Sae gave her a tired nod and went to examine the contents of the fridge. "Thank you, Makoto. Perhaps the two of you would be more comfortable in your room, where you'll have some privacy."

Taking the hint, Akira quickly stood and stretched, offering Makoto his hand and waving a quick greeting to Sae as they scurried to her room.

"I mostly do Phoenix Ranger Featherman R stuff, but you can pretty much write about whatever you want. No requirements from an editor or publisher (which can be a good thing or a really bad thing), all that really matters is that you're happy with it, and someone wants to read it."

With Akira and Makoto staying the night at her place, Futaba invited Inari over to introduce him to the magical world of fanfiction. From her computer chair, she pulled up some of her favorite pieces (including a few of her own) from Registers of Us, displaying them across her various monitors in a bit of a gallery for him. 

Intrigued, Yusuke considered the works she showed him with thoughtful interest. "The value of the written word, its unique modality as a tool of artistic expression, is something that I have remained woefully ignorant of for far too long. Literature allows a window into the thoughts, the interior world of a character, in a way that other media cannot."

Futaba shrugged with a roll of her eyes. "I guess. You don't really need to go that deep with it, but Inari's gonna Inari. I think most people just really love the characters, and like coming up with new situations to explore how they respond. Or they like writing them fucking. A whooole lot of that."

Yusuke hummed his approval as he scanned through an especially spicy Like A Dragon piece. "I do wish to explore how the physical manifestation of intimacy relates to the internal experience of Love, but I fear that I do not have much in the way of personal experience with such things."

Futaba let out a self-deprecating laugh. "And I do? Doesn't stop me. I mean, I think most writers write about stuff they haven't experienced firsthand. The important thing is to care about the characters, think about who they are and how they'd act, and have faith in your interpretation of them. If you believe in it, there's a decent chance it'll be believable."

He nodded thoughtfully, taking in her advice. "I believe that I shall make some forays into this world, if only to expand my repertoire. Where to begin, though? I rarely consume much of the media these pieces draw from, except as an occasional reference."

Futaba tapped a finger to her chin. "Like I said, you can do anything you want. It's like that afro guy says. 'This is your world, you're the creator. Believe that you can do it, 'cause you can do it.' You might not find a huge fandom, but you could do, I dunno, like, historical fics about some painter, and I bet _someone_ will wanna read it."

Yusuke's eyes lit up with inspiration. "Theo! I shall strive to express the sublime, fraternal Love between Vincent and Theo van Gogh, and the tragedy of their untimely deaths!"

Futaba nodded with a warm, approving smile. "That actually sounds... really good, Inari. If you, um, want someone to give you some feedback, I'd... like to read that."

"Yip!"

With Joker staying at Queen's place, and Oracle showing Fox some Art Stuff, Morgana had Joker's room to himself, sitting at his tablet in the middle of the bed. On the other end of the call, The Fox (not to be confused with Fox) sat in the spare back room of Tatsumi Textiles, with the tablet Kanji had given her.

Morgana nodded with an affectionate feline smile. "Good to see you too. Things have been pretty crazy here the last couple days. Oracle and I figured out a way for me to 'talk' to non-Persona Users, so I've been meeting some of Joker and Queen's friends."

The Fox gave him an impressed, happy bark and booped the screen with her nose, then cocked her head to the side with a questioning yip. Morgana scratched thoughtfully behind his ear. "Yeah, I bet you could learn too. It's kind of tricky typing with paws, but I'd be happy to help you practice."

The Fox ran an excited lap around the tablet, then sat back down with a discreet howl. Morgana gave her a pleased grin. "That's good. I'm glad Yukiko's been coming to spend time with you. The other yokai are nice, but I always like hanging out with humans."

The Fox nodded happily. "Yip."

Morgana shrugged with a chuckle, then his eyes lit up. "You said it. Oh yeah, speaking of, how's that nekomata family doing?"

The Fox rolled her eyes with what might have been a laugh. "Yip..."


	29. Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring special guest: Haru Okumura!

Makoto had a bit of a romantic idea of long distance trains. Glancing up from the collection of Persian love poems Akira had picked up on their last trip to Jinbocho, she looked across him, gazing out the window of the train bringing the Thieves (plus Shiho and Hifumi, who everyone agreed were welcome at all Phantom Thief group outings) to Shimoda. His expression, at once thoughtful and content as he took in the scenery, was particularly beautiful, and she smiled fondly at his handsome profile set against the rolling terrain. It had been far too long since either of them had done this, but it was worth the wait.

When Haru returned from a fascinating but profoundly exhausting trip to Seattle, to discuss the potential for an expansion of Big Bang Burgers into US markets (which was ultimately deemed unwise, given the saturation of existing fast food options), and to explore the city's coffee scene (which she personally considered much more fruitful, bringing back a veritable mountain of high quality beans to share with Akira and Sojiro), she found discussions afoot for a beach trip to end the summer. She immediately offered (insisted, really) to take them on a trip out of Tokyo to the small coastal city, where they could enjoy a whole weekend of beaches before the semester started.

In response to their protests of her spending so much on them, Haru assured her friends that while she respected them not wanting to feel reliant on her resources, she had more money than she was _at all_ comfortable with, even after channeling as much as possible into charitable organizations, and she considered occasionally doing something special for them to be a thoroughly worthwhile use of her personal funds. Besides, after spending much of the summer on business trips as she began assuming greater responsibility in the direction of her company, she _definitely_ needed some time to relax, herself.

Makoto rested a hand on Akira's thigh and gave him an affectionate squeeze, and he turned to give her an especially happy smile, then suddenly rolled his eyes and nodded, indicating behind her. With a preemptive sigh, she slowly turned to mediate what she expected to be an altercation between Ryuji and Morgana.

Sure enough, she found Mona sitting in Akira's bag in the seat across the aisle, grinning smugly at a disinterested Ryuji as he rattled off the many admirable and exciting qualities of the Fox, clearly rubbing Skull's nose in his comparative lack of a girlfriend. "And she's super smart. Maybe even Queen smart! But she's never been able to communicate with humans. She's gonna learn to type, like me, so she'll finally be able to talk to Chie and Yukiko and Kanji and Naoto. It's harder with fox paws, but she's real nimble, and she's already starting to get the hang of it. We're even gonna get to find her voice!"

Makoto lifted the bag and Morgana across the aisle and placed them on her lap, giving him a low intensity glare as she reprimanded him in a quiet but authoritative voice. "I understand that you're proud of her, but _don't_ be mean to Ryuji about it."

He lowered his head respectfully. "Y-yes, Queen!"

She rolled her eyes with a giggle and began gently scratching the back of his neck (he immediately started purring), adjusting the bag to give him an unobstructed view out the window. "Relax and enjoy the scenery for a bit. It's not every day we get to do this."

Makoto and Akira stood up to the bottom of their chests in the sea, gazing out over the boundless expanse of calm, deep blue green, across the clean line of the horizon to the cloudless sky. The soft swell of waves gently lifted them with the rhythm of the Earth's breath. Under the water, their hands crossed affectionately around one another's backs, resting comfortably on each other's butts. They felt a profound sense of oneness and timelessness, existing entirely in that moment and in the connection between them.

"INARI! GET OVER HERE!"

Futaba's yell broke them out of their meditation, and they slowly turned to survey the situation on the beach. Futaba, holding several small buckets and shovels, had run over to the beach towel where Yusuke sat, framing the scene with his fingers. She planted her hands on her hips and bent down to give him a dramatic pout, then grabbed his arm and yanked him to his feet, dragging him off to help her build sandcastles. Standing next to the towel, Ryuji let out a frustrated sigh, presumably unsuccessful in his attempts to enlist Yusuke's help in another ill-fated mission to hit on random girls on the beach.

Not that there were many other people around. Makoto had selected Kujuppama Beach as their first destination precisely because it wasn't as well known or frequently visited as Shirahama or Kisami Ohama, allowing them to have a more relaxed, intimate experience. The guides she had consulted also made note of the rocky shoreline's opportunities for hiking and exploring coastal pools, which seemed well suited to their various interests.

Frollicking together in the shallows, Ann pulled Shiho close and whispered something to her. Shiho grinned and nodded, then ran up onto the beach and addressed Ryuji with a challenging tilt of her head. He thought for a moment, then nodded with a pleased grin, and the two of them took off towards one of the hiking trails at a brisk jog.

Ann sauntered up to the other beach towel, where Hifumi had her board out and was playing a game with Morgana as she explained the rules and general strategy to Haru. Plopping down next to the fluffy haired heiress, Ann feigned interest in the game for a moment, before turning to her with a grin and pointing in the direction of a snack stand they had passed on the way to the beach. Haru nodded with a warm smile, and the two stood and headed towards it at a leisurely pace.

Content that the kids were playing nice and keeping themselves occupied, Team Mom and Dad turned back to each other, sharing comfortable smiles. Makoto brought a hand up to tangle in Akira's hair, and drew him down into a kiss perfectly expressing just how incredibly happy she was to be sharing that particular moment with him, their hands drifting affectionately along each other's hips. They looked for a few moments more into each others eyes, conversing beyond the possibility or need of words, before turning back out towards the sea, sharing in the sense of being infinitessimal but interconnected souls within the vastness of the universe.

"Ugh, I can't believe that with ten of us here, Ryuji still wanted to go on Thirst Quest, Volume, I dunno, A Million." Ann rolled her eyes in dramatic, exasperated fashion as she and Haru made their way to get everyone snacks.

Haru shrugged with a bit of a blush. "I can certainly understand how one can become... quite lonely, at times." She looked down with a slight frown. "Although I do fear that his approach may be a bit... frivolous."

Ann was torn between feeling sympathy for her and wanting to smirk in satisfaction at knowing the score. "I mean, you know I love him like an annoying little brother, but Ryuji can be a bit, well, dumb. Especially about that kind of thing." She rolled her eyes and gave Haru a knowing grin. "You'd probably have to pin him down, look him straight in the eyes, and yell 'I want to date you!' for him to take a hint."

With a final smirk and an 'innocent' shrug, Ann quickened her pace just enough to leave Haru wide eyed and flustered for a moment, before she quickly shook her head and hurried to catch up with her.

Makoto and Akira emerged from the waters at about the same time that Ryuji and Shiho got back from their jog, and Ann and Haru returned with snacks (their sandcastle finished, Futaba and Yusuke had wandered off at some point to explore the rock pools in search of crabs and starfish). 

With an enormous grin, Ann dropped the snack bags on the towel and skipped over to Makoto, Haru in tow. "Oh, Makoto, I was just telling Haru about how you were knocking me into shape, and she _really_ wanted to see how you do that lock thingy." She gave her a 'subtle' wink. "Do you think you could show her?"

Makoto raised a curious eyebrow at Ann's suspicious demeanor, but nodded. "Of course. Here, Haru, give me your hand." She took Haru's hand below her thumb, twisting and bending her around a few times while she explained how to use the wrist and elbow joints as levers to control motion. 

When Haru had a reasonable grasp of the basic principles, Makoto released her hand, and Ann turned to Ryuji with a meaningful smirk. "Why don't you try it on Ryuji, Haru? He's been helping Shiho train, and even I have to admit he's pretty good about it."

Both Haru and Ryuji stared wide eyed at Ann, she with a deep blush, he with an expression of shock at being nominated for training dummy. "What!? Why me? Akira's way better at that kinda stuff!"

Ann rolled her eyes harder than she had ever rolled them before and straight arm shoved Ryuji towards Haru. With a sigh of resignation, he held out his hand, and Haru gave him a bashful smile as she took hold of him below the thumb. "Don't worry, Ryuji. I promise, I'll be very gentle."

True to her word, Haru slowly and carefully turned Ryuji's arm until his body moved with it, before switching hands to bend him forward. Something about the way she held his hand, gentle but firm, and the way she moved and controlled him, careful but insistent, felt... really good, in a weird way. While he wasn't about to admit it to him any time soon, he could kind of see why Akira liked it so much when Makoto threw him around.

As everyone pulled out snacks, Haru and Ryuji sat noticeably closer on the towel, as they discussed him helping with her gardening when they got back to Tokyo.

Makoto pulled Ann aside with an impressed look and whispered to her. "How did you know that would work?"

Ann shrugged with a cheeky grin. "I didn't, but I figured it was worth a shot. I mean, it was gonna take Ryuji _forever_ to figure it out on his own."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Queen will always be my queen, Ann is Minister of Shipping.


	30. Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion" -Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

Seated around the table in a group dining room of Gorosaya, the Thieves discussed their itinerary while they enjoyed a feast of fresh-caught seafood. Having gotten their fill of the beach for one day, they scrolled through information on the other attractions Shimoda had to offer for the rest of the afternoon. 

As she savored a bite of poached kinmedai, Makoto's eyes lit up, and she held up her phone with an excited smile to show Akira, who tapped an approving finger to his chin. "Floating Aquarium? Sounds interesting." He glanced around at their assembled friends. "What do you all think?"

There was a general murmur of agreement, but Yusuke held up his chopsticks in a definitive gesture. "I insist that we visit the Uehara Museum of Art."

Ryuji looked aghast. "What?! I don't wanna go to another boring museum!"

Yusuke gave him a look of disgust. "By what possible standard could Renoir and Cézanne be considered 'boring'?"

Makoto shook her head with a deep sigh, and Ann rolled her eyes and gave her a sympathetic smile. "How about this: everyone who wants can go to the museum, and the rest of us can take the ropeway up Mount Nesugata? Looks like there's nature trails and stuff for hiking, and the view looks great. Then we can all do the aquarium tomorrow." 

She gave Ryuji an expectant look, and he thought for a moment then nodded. She turned to Haru with a smirk. "How about you, Haru? There's a nature park, and the hydrangeas should still be in season."

Haru gave her a bright smile, her eyes darting to Ryuji momentarily with a faint blush. "That sounds lovely, Ann-chan!"

Futaba shook her head and pointed at Yusuke. "Well put me on Team Museum. I can only do so much Outside Stuff in a day. Besides, someone's gotta keep an eye on Inari and make sure he doesn't do anything _too_ Inari."

Akira nodded and turned to Makoto with an affectionate smile. "What do you think?"

Makoto tapped her chopsticks thoughtfully on the edge of her bowl. "Both are certainly tempting, but I think I'd prefer the museum today, to relax a bit." She glanced over at Hifumi. "What about you, Hifumi?"

Hifumi nodded with a pleased smile. "The museum sounds quite agreeable. I believe the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Buddhist Art are adjacent, and I would like to see some of the artifacts on display."

Morgana looked up from his sashimi bowl with a sheepish feline smile. "Is it okay if I go with you, Lady A-... sorry, I mean Ann?"

Ann giggled and reached over to scratch behind his ear. "Of course. Once we get to the top, you probably won't even have to stay in the bag."

As they finished their meal, Makoto turned to Ann with an appreciative smile, addressing her quietly. "Thank you for handling that."

Ann gave her a friendly grin and a wink. "No sweat. I figure it's gotta get pretty tiring being Team Mom all the time, so I'm happy to help out by being Team Big Sister once in a while."

"Mona, look!" Ann reached into her bag to jostle Morgana awake, and he popped out his head surreptitiously, not wanting to get them in trouble with the rest of the crowded cabin. He peeked out the window of the Shimoda Ropeway as it climbed up over the surrounding city, giving them a stunning view of the ocean stretching out in endless cerulean, and the surrounding mountains bursting with verdant life. 

Morgana turned from admiring the scenery to look up at Ann, finding her gazing out, enraptured. "It's really beautiful." She nodded wordlessly, nothing else needing to be said.

After a short, three minute ride, the ropeway deposited them at the top of Mount Nesugata, and Ann looked around to get their bearings and compare their location to the maps on her phone. "Alright, looks like the hiking trails are that way, and the nature park is over there. What do you guys wanna do first?"

While Haru was interested in seeing the park, Ryuji and Shiho both preferred to get in a bit of a workout after their protein-rich fish dinner, so the group took off down the path for a short hike to start out. Ann gently lifted Morgana out of her bag and set him down to trot along beside them.

As they took in the nature surrounding them at a leisurely pace, Morgana looked up at Ann with a sheepish frown. "Hey... Ann, I'm sorry about all the 'Lady Ann' stuff."

She gave him a surprised look, then grinned down at him. "Did Makoto talk to you?"

He nodded and looked away bashfully. "Queen said you might not like being... I think it was 'put on a pedestal'... or something."

She stopped and squatted down to give him a gentle smile and a scratch under the chin. "Well, she's right, but it's okay, Mona. You're my friend, and I'd rather you not treat me like some... I dunno, noblewoman or something, but I'm not gonna get mad if you slip up. Just Ann is fine, alright?"

He gave her hand an affectionate headbutt and started purring. "Alright, L-... Ann."

She giggled and stood, pointing ahead of them. "Okay, I'm glad we talked, but come on, we're falling behind." 

They dashed ahead to catch up with the others, and Ann took Shiho's hand comfortably in hers as they reached them. Shiho gave her an affectionate grin and leaned over to give her a discreet kiss on the cheek, and they continued on, hand in hand.

( https://live.staticflickr.com/5081/5297580737_2585e55ff0_b.jpg )

"I dunno, maybe Monet just needed glasses or something."

Yusuke shook his head with a thoughtful frown. "While his cataracts did eventually lead to a decline in his exquisite color sensitivity, and ultimately to a tragic dissatisfaction with his own work, that wasn't until much later in his career, and I doubt that it had as much of an influence on the development of Impressionism as the popularization of photography. When one could simply take a picture, the need for photo-realistic portraiture declined, and the focus of art moved to the unique individual perspective of the artist."

Futaba took off her glasses and squinted at the snowy houses, then replaced them with a shrug. "I mean, it's cool and all, but I still don't really get why something like this is worth millions of yen, when I can look at, like, a gajillion really cool paintings on AberrantArt."

Yusuke tapped a finger to his chin. "The market value of art is always somewhat arbitrary, based both on the value the critical community assesses it to have and what collectors are willing to pay for it. Frankly, though, I consider monetary value to be trivial compared to aesthetic value, which can be developed in critical dialectic, but must ultimately be determined by the individual in their personal connection to a work."

Futaba turned her attention to Yusuke, who was too absorbed in admiring Monet's brushwork to notice. While Inari could be Super Dumb about A Lot of things, it was actually pretty cool listening to him talk about something he was both passionate and knowledgeable about. Especially when it gave her the opportunity to endlessly needle him with her own idiosyncratic views on art. With a satisfied grin, she looked around, her attention drawn to a colorful, slightly abstract landscape by Cézanne. She tugged Yusuke's arm and pointed in its direction, wanting to hear what he had to say about it.

_Though the masses of sentient beings are without bounds, I vow to save them all.  
Though anxiety, hate, and delusive desires are inexhaustible, I vow to break them all.  
Though Dharma gates are beyond measure, I vow to learn them all.  
Though the Buddha Way is unsurpassable, I vow to accomplish it._

Makoto contemplated the Bodhisattva Vow, rendered in deceptively simple but strangely compelling calligraphy by a 13th Century monk, displayed next to a statue of the same monk sitting zazen with a serene smile. "It's a bit daunting to imagine him so calm while he undertakes such an enormous task."

Akira shrugged with a chuckle. "I imagine some amount of artistic liberties were taken, but most of the monks I've met are pretty chill. The way my dad explained it was 'if you're going to have compassion for all beings, you need to start with compassion for yourself.' Agonizing over immeasurable suffering only adds to it. You need to look at it calmly, then liberate yourself from it, then you can start liberating others."

She nodded with a thoughtful hum. "I certainly hope that I can get to that point someday. I'm afraid that I'm still very much in the mode of anxiety over the sheer amount of suffering in the world, although I'd like to think I'm getting better about it."

He rested a hand on the small of her back and gave her an affectionate grin. "Makoto, if you keep growing like you have this past year, you'll be enlightened before you're out of college." He closed his eyes, recalling his father's lessons. "The six pāramitās are giving, moral discipline, patience, effort, concentration, and wisdom." He opened his eyes with an adoring smile. "You embody every single one of them more than anyone I know." 

She turned away with a deep blush and an appreciative smile. "Well, I would hardly consider myself a Bodhisattva, but those do sound quite similar to the virtues my father taught me. I don't think he was very religious, but I suppose they're non-denominational."

He gave her his own Bodhisattva smile. "Most Truths are."


	31. Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Triptych

( https://uploads2.wikiart.org/images/paul-cezanne/bouquet-of-flowers.jpg )

"Why does everyone always wanna paint flowers?"

Yusuke raised a confused eyebrow at Futaba. "I would hardly say 'everyone' paints flowers, but still lifes are certainly a mainstay of the visual arts. They give the artist a great deal of freedom to experiment with arrangement and composition, and practice capturing the small details of an object."

She rolled her eyes at Cézanne's Bouqet. "Sure, but flowers are, like, the most cliché 'oh, so _beautiful_' thing in the world. And if you want flowers, you can just _have_ them, for _waaay_ cheaper than buying some fancy painting of them. I mean, if it was, like, botanical drawings of Weird Flowers from some Bio-Expedition, I could understand it, but these are just regular-ass flowers. Who cares?"

He tapped a finger to his chin with a thoughtful hum. "Much of developing one's aesthetic sense is discovering the subtle perfection in mundane things, and asserting the value of those things through one's individual perception of them. An ordinary clay pot could have no apparent aesthetic value, but in a particular arrangement, the artist can draw out its fundamental Truths and hidden beauty."

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him an unconvinced look. "The 'fundamental Truth' of a clay pot? It's a pot. It holds stuff. What 'hidden beauty'?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head with a knowing chuckle. "A simple, flawed teacup can represent, in a deep and direct way, the universal principles of transience and imperfection. In Truth, all is void, unfeeling atoms bound by elemental forces. It is in our connection to things as sentient beings that meaning blossoms." 

He planted his hands on his hips and gave the painting his full attention. "To return to the example of flowers, in their cultivation and arrangement there is a living beauty, but it is the nature of life to wither and fade. Perhaps painting them expresses a deep longing to translate impermanent beauty into an enduring form, to capture and crystallize a unique aesthetic moment. Such moments can possess transcendant individual value, and the arts seek to produce an object through which such value can be experienced by its audience."

At that he went silent, fully absorbed in Art Appreciation Mode. Futaba, still not entirely convinced, turned back to the painting with a noncommital hum, feeling in the unique aesthetic moment of standing next to him, discussing aesthetics, something that might be called transcendant individual value. Being there, in that moment, certainly felt more meaningful than the (admittedly pretty) bouqet before them, and she found herself a bit more positively disposed towards the piece through the connection between it and them.

Alone on a hydrangea lined trail in the nature park at Mount Nesugata Observatory, Haru and Ryuji avoided eye contact. From a discreet distance away, Ann watched them through a bush, as Shiho tapped her foot and laughed at her (Morgana, who had little interest in flowers _or_ Ryuji, was presumably off doing Cat Stuff in the park).

The two _clearly_ had a thing for each other, and Ann had done everything in her power to push them to finally hook up, up to and including getting them alone together on a secluded, flower lined path on top of a freaking mountain. If one of them didn't make a move, she was going to tear her hair out and beat Ryuji to death with it (she hadn't exactly thought through how the logistics of that would work).

Haru gently caressed a delicate cluster of blossoms and turned to Ryuji with a bashful smile. "They're very beautiful, don't you think?"

Ryuji shrugged, still not meeting her eyes. "I mean, I guess. I don't really know anything about... pretty stuff. That ain't really my thing."

She frowned, then set her brow in determination. "Oh... But surely there must be some things you find beautiful. While flowers may not be 'your thing,' you still have some sense of what you find appealing, or attractive..."

He tilted his head and gave her a confused look. "Well yeah, I guess. I mean, like, you're super pretty, but that ain't the same..."

His eyes very went wide as he realized what he had just said, and before he could chew on his words, Haru turned to face him with fire in her eyes. "Ryuji, would you like to go out for coffee when we get back to the city?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Coffee? But I don't drink..." His eyes went even wider, his voice squeaking a bit. "Wait... you mean... like... a _date_?"

She gave him a bright smile and nodded. "Yes, Ryuji. That is _exactly_ what I mean."

For a moment he was at a loss for words, then he gave her an overjoyed grin. "Uhhh... yeah! Hell yeah!"

Haru clapped excitedly. "Wonderful!" She gave him a bashful smile. "Would it be presumptuous of me... to ask to hold your hand?"

As they continued, hand in hand, down the hydrangea lined path, from a bush a discreet distance away came a quiet cheer. Ann's hair was safe for another day.

( https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Kyoto-Ryoan-Ji_MG_4512.jpg )

Hifumi had a seemingly inexhaustible appetite for Buddhist statuary. Between spending her time in class surrounded by people more or less like Yusuke, and her evenings practicing Shogi in a Catholic church, she had some idiosyncratic (some might say heretical) ideas about religion and art, and found the concrete manifestation of the concept of an enlightened being endlessly fascinating. She soon found herself lost among artifacts dating from the 7th to the 19th century, unresponsive to external stimuli.

Makoto and Akira, seeing that she would be content there for a while, decided to take their spiritual development outside for some more private communion by a small rock garden down a persimmon lined path from the museum. They sat together in lotus position on the large flat rock from which the garden was intended to be viewed, looking out over the intricate ripples of gravel flowing around the the few large rocks isolated on small patches of grass. Feeling a sense of profound fulfillment in its stark, subtle beauty, Makoto reached over to take Akira's hand in hers. 

Akira glanced over at her with an affectionate smirk, finding her attention directed fully at the garden with a gentle, serene smile on her lips. He returned his own attention forward and gave her hand a soft squeeze. "This is what I live for."

Her smile widened a bit. "It's wonderful, isn't it? Going somewhere new, learning and experiencing new things. I haven't done something like this since dad died, and being able to do this with you... there aren't words for how much I love this."

His eyes shifted momentarily to her, and he nodded. "There aren't words..." He took a deep, relaxed breath. "I think the team will be fine. Even if we all have our own lives, if we can do something like this once in a while, we'll stay together."

Her eyes turned to him with thoughtful calculation. "Well we can't just keep letting Haru foot the bill. Maybe we could use some of the Mementos funds for a trip during winter break." She smiled nostalgically. "We could go out to Nara. My father used to take Sis and me, and I remember it being very beautiful."

He turned his head towards her with a surprised grin. "No kidding? My parents used to bring me out to Nara too. My dad's friends with some of the monks at Todaiji."

She turned to him and tilted her head in deep thought, then her eyes went wide with astonishment. "I was nine. I was feeding the deer, and a little boy with fluffy black hair came up to me and gave me a flower. He was very cute, but clearly a bit shy. I smiled at him, and he bowed politely and hurried back to his parents."

His jaw dropped. "I was eight, and I saw the prettiest girl I had ever seen, feeding the deer. I asked my mom if I could give her a flower, and she said I could..."

She giggled and gave him a playful grin. "You're still very cute."

He gave her a criminally charming smirk. "You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

She rolled her eyes and leaned over to give him a _very_ affectionate kiss. "But you're _much_ less shy."


	32. Arrangements

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory Onsen Chapter, Part... IV?

"How is your hot chocolate, Ryuji?"

Ryuji's hot chocolate was excellent, rich and creamy with a deep, complex sweetness and just a hint of spice. He wished he had Makoto or Yusuke's ability to articulate their thoughts and feelings in ways that made their intelligence and perceptiveness immediately apparent. Hell, he didn't even know what 'articulate' _meant_. "It's, um... good..."

Haru gave him a soft, concerned frown. "You're rather quiet, Ryuji. I hope I'm not making you uncomfortable..."

He shook his head with a frustrated sigh. "Nah, it ain't you. I just never did this whole 'dating' thing before, and I don't wanna sound like a dumbass."

She gave him a gentle smile and reached across the table in the little café to rest her hand lightly on his. "We've known each other for almost a year, so I don't think you need to worry too much about first impressions. And I certainly don't think you're a 'dumbass.'"

He gave her a wry, self-deprecating grin. "Well that makes one of us."

She gently slapped his hand. "You're much too hard on yourself. Not everyone will excel at academics. You're a kind, sweet young man with a strong sense of right and wrong, and that's far more important to me than your grades or your vocabulary."

He rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Wish you'd tell Makoto that..."

She giggled and began tracing light circles on the back of his hand with her finger. "Makoto knows that quite well. She just wants you to try your best, because she cares about you, and doesn't want you to limit your opportunities in the long run."

He leaned back with a deep sigh, turning his hand to let their fingers play across each other's palms. "Yeah, I know. I guess one of us's gotta be responsible."

She gave him an affectionate smile. "Truthfully, I always found your being a little rough around the edges rather refreshing. The business world can be so formal and polite, it gets quite stuffy. It's nice to feel like we can just be ourselves together."

They shared a moment of comfortable silence, the combination of Haru's smile and the contact between their hands having an unfamiliar warming effect on Ryuji. He nodded towards her cup. "So, uh, how's your coffee?"

She took a slow sip and hummed with a thoughtful frown. "Hm. It doesn't quite have Boss's nuance, but it shows passion and care for the craft. What I find fascinating is how every barista seems to put a little of their own personality into their work."

He gave her an impressed grin. "Damn, you really know your stuff! See, I wish I could, y'know, express myself like that."

She giggled and squeezed his hand. "Oh, I'm still a novice compared to Boss or Akira, but it's been very exciting growing and exploring that interest. Perhaps we could both work on growing... together."

"Hello, we're interested in purchasing, um... a strap-on..."

The bored-looking man behind the counter of the sex shop raised an eyebrow at Makoto and Akira. Akira rolled his eyes, and Makoto quickly shook her head. "Not for him. It's a surprise for... well... our girlfriend." (Not that it was _any_ of his business, or that she would think any less of Akira if he _did_ want her to use it on him, but she felt an almost instinctual need to counter any perceived slight to his honor)

The cashier shrugged and nodded in the direction that such accessories could be found, and Makoto found herself longing for the easy rapport Chie and Yukiko seemed to have with the staff at The Dragon Comes, which made the whole situation much less awkward. If they were going to make a habit of this, they would need to find a place they liked in Tokyo, and develop a relationship with some of the employees, given the personal nature of their purchases.

That aside, the online recommendations of the establishment Makoto had researched ahead of time were accurate, and the place had an extensive selection (maybe a little _too_ extensive) of everything they could possibly need to do anything they could imagine (and quite a few things they couldn't). 

As they approached a large shelf of strap-ons, she tapped a calculating finger to her chin. "Nothing too big. I feel silly enough about this without strapping on a comically enormous fake phallus, and I don't want it to be too much for Hifumi. I think something around your size should work just fine for both of us."

Akira turned to her with a playful smirk. "You don't want to brag about how yours is bigger?" She rolled her eyes with a giggle and gave him a playful slap on the butt before returning her attention to the racks, at length finding one that seemed both respectable and reasonable. 

As she turned it over in her hands, examining the craftsmanship and ensuring that it would be both comfortable and durable, she noticed Akira's attention drawn elsewhere. Following his eyes, her lips curled up into an excited grin. "Oh... something like that could be quite useful." She laughed and nudged him. "At this rate I'm going to need to clear up more closet space for our toy collection."

"Come oooon, man! You're the only one of us who's... _you know_. You can't let your Best Bro go in unprepared and make a fool of himself."

Relaxing in their ryokan's onsen, Makoto's eyes snapped open at the approach of Ryuji's unmistakably loud voice. Looking around and seeing the rest of the girls similarly startled, she let out an annoyed sigh, wrapped a towel around herself, and stood to get out of the water. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."

She halted Akira, Ryuji, and Yusuke with a pointed, questioning glare just outside the main bathing area. Akira gave her a confused look, then glanced at the clock on the wall. Following his eyes, she let out a frustrated huff. "You'd think they could have let us know when the shift was changing. Just... give us a few minutes. We'll clear out for you."

Akira shrugged with a nonchalant grin. "No rush. We can wait for you to finish up."

She gave him an unreadable, calculating look, then raised a finger. "Give us a minute." Then she turned and went back to confer with the girls. About a minute later she returned, checked that they were _definitely_ alone, and nodded toward the onsen. "Alright, we all agreed, come on in." She pointed a threatening finger at Ryuji and Yusuke. "And you two, _behave_."

"You know, mixed bathing was considered perfectly normal until the Meiji Era. It was only with the opening of Japan to foreign trade that it began to be seen as inappropriate. Western critics considered it a sign of 'Japanese inferiority'. Their loss, as far as I'm concerned." Hifumi mused as Makoto rubbed her shoulders, while Akira rubbed _her_ shoulders, the three of them all thoroughly enjoying the hot water and each other.

Ryuji was pointedly avoiding looking anywhere he shouldn't, cursing the fates that the day of such an unprecedented opportunity would be the same day that Haru could be reasonably expected to introduce him to the business end of one of her impressive (and terrifying) collection of battle axes if he looked at anyone else. As she swam over and sat next to him, resting a hand on his thigh with a giggle and leaning over to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, he decided that this was _way_ better than peeking, anyway.

Between the steamy water, Shiho snuggling up to her, and the ships blossoming before her eyes, Ann was in heaven, sinking into the bath with a sigh of profound contentment. Seeing the rest of her companions pairing off, Futaba swam over to Yusuke, who was (unsurprisingly) framing the scene with his fingers. "You know they're never gonna let you paint this, right?"

He sighed and nodded. "Alas, though a scene of such comfort and intimacy would make for a spectacular piece, I shall content myself with consigning it to my store of private, personally edifying images."

She rolled her eyes as she sat next to him, joining him in enjoying their friends enjoying each other. "How is it even possible to be so Inari?"

Between the ten of them, they had four rooms. Makoto, Akira, and Hifumi in one, Ann and Shiho in another, Ryuji and Yusuke sharing one, and Futaba, Haru, and Morgana in the last (no one wanted to deal with Morgana and Ryuji sharing a room, and both Futaba and Haru were perfectly comfortable with him). 

With Ryuji and Haru hooking up, though, plans changed, and she politely requested a trade of rooms with Yusuke, who "wouldn't dream of standing in the way of such beauty". Futaba was _much_ less annoyed with this arrangement than she let on, and ended up spending most of the evening showing him and Morgana Evangelion.

While both Haru and Ryuji were excited about spending the night together, neither was quite sure how much else they were prepared to share. He gave her a questioning look. "So, uhh... are we gonna..."

Her eyes widened nervously as he trailed off, and she turned away with a deep blush. "Oh, um... I don't know that I'm quite ready to... _that_... I do want to... eventually, but we've only just started... being together..."

He gave a reassuring grin and gently brushed her cheek, tilting her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Hey, you don't gotta explain nothing. I ain't gonna try and get you to do anything you don't feel totally ready for."

She beamed at him and threw her arms over his shoulders, pulling him down into a tremendously affectionate kiss, finally pulling back with a comfortable and joyful laugh. "Oh, Ryuji, do you have _any_ idea how sexy those words are?"

With more than a bit of a blush himself, he gave her a sheepish grin. "I guess I can say the right thing sometimes. So, what do you wanna do tonight?"

She lowered herself down onto the futon and offered him her hand, pulling him down to lie beside her, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling her cheek on his chest. "I'd like this, if that's alright with you."

He nodded with a contented smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Yeah. This feels... real good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ryuji is an effin' Good Boy.


	33. Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Regal Queen

"Well... do I look as ridiculous as I feel in this thing?"

Makoto wiggled her hips, causing the strap-on to flop around comically. Akira stood up from helping her into the harness and lacing up its corset back in their en suite bathroom, stifled a laugh, and gave her an appraising look with an affectionate grin. "Moderately intimidating, and weirdly hot. The Regal Queen definitely suits you."

She rolled her eyes with a giggle and stood on her toes to give him an appreciative kiss, both of them pulling back with shared laughter as their cocks, one organic, one synthetic, booped each other on the snoot. "I suppose that will do. Hopefully it will have a similar effect on Hifumi. Alright, help me get my yukata back on. I want to surprise her."

As they folded the robe around her, Makoto slipped the dildo up and under her obi, concealing the mysterious bulge as well as possible. When they had (momentarily) dressed, they returned to their room, where Hifumi sat on their futon in her own yukata, reading the copy of _On War_ Makoto had given her. As they entered, she glanced up at them with a suggestive smile. "So, what would you like to play tonight?"

Makoto gave her a playful smirk. "Tonight..." Akira pulled the bow of her obi, and she slipped her yukata from her shoulders, standing naked except for the addition that sprang out to greet Hifumi. "...we have some new toys we'd like to play with."

Hifumi stared, wide eyed, as Makoto stood before her with a hand on her hip and an aura of elegant power, then her face lit up with an enormously pleased grin as she clapped excitedly. "Wonderful! You truly never cease to amaze." She tossed her hair and leaned back on her elbows on the futon, spreading her legs in invitation. "Take me, my Queen!"

With an excited smile, Makoto smoothly lowered herself to her knees over Hifumi on the mattress, bringing up one hand to gently hold the back of her neck and drawing her into Queen's Kiss, as her other hand reached around to untie the bow of her obi and slide her yukata off her shoulders. 

Queen pulled back and gave her a confident smirk, then dipped her face to playfully nip at her nipple before moving down to her pussy (while the sight of her so adorned had Hifumi quite excited already, she certainly wasn't taking any chances their first time doing this, and would hardly pass up the opportunity to taste her, in any event).

Once Queen's attentions had Hifumi dissolving into sighing bliss, she pulled up to look in her eyes. "Ready?" With half-lidded eyes and softly panting breaths, Hifumi nodded, and Queen smiled and lined up the head of her cock, pushing slowly forward and into her.

While she couldn't exactly feel Hifumi clenching around her in ecstasy, the other effects she was having on her were far more outwardly obvious. With a tight gasp, she threw her arms over Queen's shoulders, pulling her down into a desperate kiss as her legs wrapped around her waist, her entire body pleading for more.

As she settled into a slowly building rhythm, Queen looked over her shoulder with an amorous grin at Akira, and paused for a moment to reach back and adjust the straps of the harness to allow him easier access. "Joker?" Her intentions clear, with an amused smirk he dropped to his knees behind her on the mattress, pressing a deep kiss and a long lick to her sex before lining up his cock and pushing in.

If Makoto was concerned about looking ridiculous, the three of them, a bit clumsy at first as they worked out an arrangement of angles and rhythms that worked for all of them, might have seemed a bit silly. But in that moment, Queen could not possibly give less of a fuck. God, this felt incredible! Fucking Hifumi, her arms and legs wrapped tight around her, while Joker fucked her was an unbelievable rush, a flood of pleasure and passion that fully consumed her.

As Queen built up to more powerful thrusts, Hifumi came with a long, tense hum, her legs tightening around her before falling back, trembling, to the mattress. Queen pulled out and the three disentangled to catch their breath and consider their next experiment.

After giving Hifumi a long moment to cool down, Queen gently but irresistibly pushed Joker down onto his back on the futon, straddling his lap and pulling Hifumi up on top of him and in front of her. She took hold of him and eased herself down onto him as she pulled Hifumi back onto her. From this position, she had nearly total control, and Akira and Hifumi were more than happy to share a long, ecstatic kiss as their Queen had her way with both of them.

Queen's motions mounted in intensity until Hifumi came hard with an overwhelmed yelp and pulled forward off of her to lie panting against Joker's chest. He gently brushed the sweaty hair from her face and leaned up to give her a calming kiss. Queen, now able to focus her attentions entirely on him, redoubled her efforts in a final push to bring them both to an ecstatic conclusion.

Joker's breath hitched, and he gripped Queen's hips, pushing up hard into her to match her aggression, as Hifumi rolled off of him to lie beside them, looking up in awe at Queen's full power. With access to more of Joker's body, Queen bent down to envelop him in a ferocious kiss that held until they both came with choked gasps into one another's mouths.

Rolling off to lie on Akira's other side, breathing heavily, Makoto smiled across at Hifumi, then glanced down at her strap-on. "Well, I think it's safe to say that this was a worthwhile purchase."

Hifumi laughed and leaned across Akira to give her an affectionate kiss. "Very much so. I suspect we'll get quite a bit of use out of it. May I try it on?"

Makoto nodded with a soft giggle. "Of course. I was hoping you would ask." She stood on shaky legs, and Akira sat up to help her out of the harness. "Actually, we have another toy we could try out, if we still have energy after that." 

She stepped out of the Regal Queen and across the room to a nondescript shopping bag. Reaching in, she pulled out a long, flexible, double-ended dildo. "Akira actually spotted this while we were looking at strap-ons. He said we might like to both feel it at once."

Hifumi collapsed, laughing, onto her back on the mattress. "You two are too much. I'm going to need to start working out to keep up with you."

"Whoa, dolphins! Dolphins!! Look look look!"

Futaba hopped up and down, pointing out from the bridge leading to the floating dome in the center of the little cove in Wakanoura Bay. In the sparkling waters, a pod of dolphins frollicked and played around a small cluster of visitors in kayaks. Makoto looked up from her phone with a bright smile. "It says here that the sheltered cove allows local dolphins to train with aquarium staff while living in the ocean."

Her expression dropped as they approached the entrance, and a number of sea turtles shuffling around listlessly in a shallow pool that seemed far too small for them. She turned to her companions with a confused and disappointed look. "Oh... maybe we shouldn't..."

Hifumi, matching her expression, let out a disapproving hum. "Well, it is a fifty year old facility, and standards have certainly improved over time..."

There was a general murmur of agreement. Close to tears, Makoto shook her head with a deep frown. "I'm so sorry. This was my idea. I just remember loving the aquarium when I was little and my father..."

Akira gently cupped her cheek and gave her a soft "take a moment to step back and take a deep breath" kiss on the forehead. "Makoto, it's okay. Not every plan will work out. We can hit up Sumida back in Tokyo some time. I think they have a pretty good reputation."

She nodded, still looking downcast, and he quickly pulled out his phone. "For now... we can get to Shimoda Park from pretty much across the street. We could walk through to Ryosenji Temple on the other side, then take the bus back from there when we're done."

Hifumi tapped a finger to her chin. "Ryosenji... that was where the amity treaty opening up Shimoda to American trade was signed, correct? I believe they have a small museum of Blackship artifacts and other exhibits relating to cross-cultural communication."

Interested, Makoto looked up at Akira, a soft smile creeping back onto her face. "That sounds lovely."

Ryuji's shoulders dropped with a massive sigh. "Man, more museums?"

Ann rolled her eyes and gave him a playful shove. "_Please_, you didn't even _go_ to the other museum, and anyway there's the temple too. Maybe the monks could teach you to chill out for two seconds."

On his other side, Haru nudged Ryuji with a gentle smile. "It might be nice to learn some techniques to center ourselves and relax. It can be quite stressful heading a corporation."

He gave her a conflicted look, then sighed in resignation. "Alright, fiiiine."

With a quick clap and a giggle, she leaned over to kiss his cheek.

Futaba turned to Akira with a suspicious look. "How long of a walk are we talking about here?"

He consulted his phone. "Looks like from here to the temple is about thirty or forty minutes."

She slumped forward with a groan, then turned and poked Yusuke in the side. "Inari, carry me."

He gave her a perplexed look. "What? Why me?"

She rolled her eyes and poked him several more times. "Duh, because you're the tallest, so I'll have the best view."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Regal Queen is an actual strap-on harness, and while I'm not too confident about posting a link to Adam & Eve, if you look it up it does suit Makoto very well.


	34. Pray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the benefit of all beings.

"I don't think they're bad people. I expect... well, I hope... that most people who choose a career taking care of animals really _do_ care about their wellbeing, and want what's best for them. I'm sure that there are constraints on funding and improvements compared to larger places. But still... I just can't feel comfortable seeing them like that."

Walking as a group through Shimoda Park, even the beauty of nature and the gentle, affectionate touch of Akira and Hifumi's hands at her back couldn't fully comfort a conflicted Makoto, who was still dealing with a painful blow to her happy memories of childhood trips to zoos and aquariums with Sis and their father. 

Walking hand in hand with Haru, Ryuji nodded with a frustrated grunt. "Yeah, I hear ya. When you're a kid and you go to the zoo or somethin', it's like 'whoa, animals! Cool!' But now you kinda gotta wonder 'are they happy? Do they really wanna be there?'" He gave Makoto a wry grin. "Growin' up kinda sucks like that."

Futaba (reluctantly walking, rather than riding Inari) let out a displeased hum. "Mhm. Cetacean shows are pretty sketchy to begin with. I mean, dolphins exhibit complex communication and play behaviors, and they're probably even self-aware. Taking animals who are that smart from their group and making them perform is... kinda fucked up."

Yusuke rubbed his chin in thought. "On the other hand, as you've said, cetaceans exhibit natural play behavior, and responsible activities with trainers could stimulate them and allow them to express themselves. And properly maintained zoos and aquariums aid in conservation, and provide valuable opportunities for research, like Okinawa Churaumi."

Akira tilted his head in consideration as he rubbed a gentle circle on Makoto's back. "With smaller places like this, it's a bit of a dilemma. Hand-waving inadequate facilities gives them tacit approval, but as depressing exhibits drive away visitors, the strain on resources only gets worse, making it even harder to give the animals proper conditions."

Her arm wrapped lightly around Shiho's waist, Ann nodded with a thoughtful frown. "Yeah, and I kinda feel bad for the staff too. Like Makoto said, most of them probably wish they could give the animals the best lives possible, and they've gotta feel the pressure to try and make things work with what they've got."

Haru furrowed her brow as she mentally calculated. "Perhaps I could make a donation, on condition that it be used for construction of updated, humane facilities. Unfortunately, there are countless worthy causes in need of outside investment. Even with all the resources I have access to, it would be impossible to help everyone who needs it..."

Akira thought for a moment, then turned to her with an approving smile. "Maybe you could start some kind of foundation or endowment. I mean, I've got issues with the idea of billionaires in general, but there's got to be other people who'd like to do something worthwhile with their giant piles of cash. Why not give them that opportunity?"

Haru lit up with a bright smile. "Oh, that's a wonderful idea! Perhaps I could name it in honor of father. As bad as he became, he wasn't always like that, and I would very much like for his legacy to be something more positive than the depths to which he fell."

As Haru began planning out logistics of the future Okumura Foundation, Makoto turned to Hifumi with a sheepish grin. "I'm afraid discussions like this probably aren't the most enjoyable way for you to spend your vacation. I'm sorry for bringing down the mood."

Hifumi laughed and gave her an affectionate kiss on the cheek. "Not at all, Makoto. All of you are compassionate people who care deeply about suffering. I would hardly expect you to turn that part of yourselves off, and I am honored to consider all of you friends."

A profusion of fragrant jasmine greeted them as they approached the gardens of Ryosenji Temple, giving the sacred space an air of gentle tranquility. While Haru, Ryuji, Ann, and Shiho lingered by the entrance to appreciate the flowers, and Hifumi, Futaba, and Yusuke headed towards the museum, Makoto and Akira (and Morgana) made their way to the temple proper. A monk, tending to the garden, glanced up at them, then gave Akira a thoughtful look. "Excuse me, but are you Reo and Akemi Kurusu's boy... Akira, was it?"

With a surprised raise of an eyebrow, Akira nodded, and the monk turned to them with a friendly smile. "I thought so. You probably don't remember me. I haven't seen you since you were about... this high." He indicated with his hand the approximate height of a small child. "But I'd recognize your mother's hair and your father's eyes anywhere." He set down his watering can and bowed politely. "Kenshin Hirano. Good to see you again."

Akira's eyes lit up in recognition. "I _do_ remember you, Hirano Osho. You used to be at Taisekiji. My dad used to love debating doctrine with you."

Kenshin nodded with a pleased smile. "I did. I like it here though. Nice and peaceful." He turned and bowed to Makoto. "Forgive my assumption, but are you two an item?"

Makoto returned his bow with a proud smile. "We are, Hirano Osho. Makoto Niijima. It's a pleasure to meet you. I've only recently begun exploring my own spirituality."

Kenshin hummed thoughtfully and gave them an approving grin. "Makoto and Akira. Truth and Clarity. A good combination." He nodded towards his watering can. "I'm just about done with the flowers. I can show you around if you'd like."

"Akira was always compassionate. One day while his family was visiting, he brought an injured butterfly into the temple. Asked me to pray for it. Well, I did. Then we set up a box with some sticks and leaves, and a bottle cap full of sugar water for it each day."

Walking through the temple grounds with Kenshin, Makoto giggled and gave Akira a warm smile. "That's very sweet, Hirano Osho. Did it recover?"

Kenshin shook his head. "Sadly, no. It was pretty badly damaged, but I like to think we at least made its last days a little more comfortable. Sometimes, that's all you can do."

"As you focus on your breathing, imagine with each breath in a pure white light, the positive energy of the universe, entering with your breath, filling your body. As you exhale, visualize all of your negative energies and attachments as a thick black smoke, leaving your body with your breath. Release the negative as you draw in the positive, until you can feel the radiant light spilling from your pores as a faint halo."

While Ryuji wasn't the best at sitting still, when he realized that a lot of the mindfulness techniques the monk was teaching the beginners' class came down to breathing exercises, he was a bit more comfortable. With as much as he ran, breathing was one thing he took seriously, and the simple visualizations weren't exactly rocket science. He had to admit, he did feel a satisfying calm as he filled himself with the radiant light of the universe.

Opening one eye to peek over at Haru, sitting next to him with her eyes closed, he couldn't help but give her an affectionate grin at the slight grimace as she exhaled the smoke of her negative energies. Closing his eyes again, he focused on breathing in the joyful, positive energy that she always carried with her, his lips curling up into a contented smile as he bathed in her radiance.

"This one might be a little heretical for Nichiren. Tonglen is mostly a Tibetan practice, but there are many skillful means to finding one path, and I find it effective for cultivating compassion. Imagine the suffering of all sentient beings as a thick, dark smoke emanating from them. Breathe in the hot, heavy smoke of their suffering, and transform it within the core of your being into a cool, bright light, breathing it out, projecting relief to all things. Embody compassion, taking in suffering, giving back relief with each breath."

In a quiet spot in the temple's garden, Kenshin directed Makoto and Akira in private meditation. Makoto's brow furrowed as she breathed deep the heavy smoke of pain and loss experienced by all beings, struggling to encompass within her mind the vast extent of suffering in the world. Immeasurable pain. Immeasurable loss. Immeasurable death. Immeasurable cruelty and hatred. Tears ran down her cheeks as her throat constricted at the thought of taking all of that in, despairing of the possibility of relieving such pain.

Then from within the depths of her being, a familiar form raised Her head, Her eyes flashing like lightning illuminating a dark night, and a brilliant light spilling forth from Her as She opened Her mouth, Her voice carrying like thunder. "Though the masses of sentient beings are without bounds, I vow to save them all."

Makoto's jaw set in determination, and as she exhaled, she could feel the light of Anat flowing through her and out of her, spreading to every plane of existence with Her healing touch. If she couldn't save everyone and everything, at least her commitment to do so could direct her actions, and demand that she continue to perfect herself for the benefit of all beings. She breathed in with a fierce intensity, taking on without reservation the suffering of the world, demanding of herself the power to transform and overcome it.

As she settled into a pattern of deep, transforming breaths, her ego faded into the background, her being becoming the eternal process of compassion, the recognition of suffering and the will to relieve it expressed across countless ages and every plane of existence, as she momentarily reflected Eternal Buddha Nature. The pain of taking on the world's suffering also faded, with the reassurance that she was not alone, but was a part of the immeasurable masses of those seeking perfection for the benefit of all beings.

Her face relaxed into a calm smile.

Slapping his thighs, Kenshin signaled that they'd had enough for one sitting. Makoto opened her eyes and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Hirano Osho. It was rather difficult at first, but I feel like I had something of a breakthrough, and it's certainly reaffirmed my own commitment to helping others as best I can."

Kenshin nodded with an approving grin. "Yeah, it can be rough. Especially for someone as perceptive and compassionate as yourself. The real trick is taking it from imagination to action. In Nichiren we call it 'bodily reading the Lotus Sutra.' Going beyond theory to open to your Buddha Nature in a direct, experiential way."

She gave him a determined grin. "That's exactly what I intend to do. While my path is my own, there's comfort in knowing that so many throughout history have sought to battle suffering in their own ways."

Turning to her, Akira gently cupped her cheek as he wiped away the residue of tears from her face, taking a long moment to appreciate her eyes. "Shining like the Dharma Gem."

She giggled and turned away with a blush. "I don't know how you have a cornball romantic line for meditation, but I'm not complaining." With a deeply satisfied sigh, she stood and offered him her hand. "Well, we should probably check on the others and make sure they aren't causing trouble."


	35. Cross-Cultural

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Comparative Theology

"Of course, I'm no theologian, but I believe that the core ethical principles of Buddhism and Christianity aren't so different. Charity, Compassion, Sin, Attachment, Holy Spirit, Buddha Nature, in both cases they represent a fundamentally human response to the problem of suffering. While theories of direct Buddhist influence on the early Church remain controversial, from a historical materialist viewpoint it makes sense that societal developments during the Axial Age would lead to parallel refinements in ethical and spiritual thought. It's in traditions and orthodoxies based on human, political authority that conflicts arise, both between faiths and between sects within each. But of course, as we all know, sects sell."

Amused chuckles at Hifumi's wordplay spread through the small group of monks who had gathered around the quietly energetic Phantom Thieves. Having finished exploring the museum at around the same time that the rest finished their introduction to mindfulness, they had congregated back at the gardens to await the return of Makoto and Akira (Morgana had joined them when he got bored with the two meditating, and was enjoying pets from the monks), where their spirited discussions drew the attention of the local monastic community. Both of them attending a Jesuit school, Hifumi and Yusuke were well grounded in religious studies, even if their own beliefs were a bit unorthodox, and Hifumi especially relished a situation in which discussion of religion was acceptable.

A middle-aged monk nodded with a thoughtful smile. "Nichiren saw himself as returning Buddhism to its true, original form, but I suspect that every sect in every religion sees themselves in much the same way. While I'm content in my own practice and my own understanding, and the Thirteenth Century was a very different context, I don't think that polemics against Zen or Shingon could do much good today. Given the state of the world nowadays, I think we would all prefer to work together for the benefit of all."

Ryuji scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "One thing I don't really get... uh, no offense to you guys, but, like, I _know_ sufferin's bad, of course I'm gonna try and help people. Why do I gotta listen to what some guy said a hundred years ago to get it?"

With a roll of her eyes, Shiho leaned over and whispered to him. "The Buddha lived twenty five hundred years ago, and Nichiren eight hundred." His eyes widened with a silent 'for real?!' at the thought of such important people living that long ago.

A younger monk tapped a finger to his chin. "There's truth to that. When we talk about Buddha Nature, we acknowledge that all people have that potential for empathy and can naturally find their way to Right Action. While faith and community have value in developing that sense for me, the Buddha himself insists that we shouldn't base our understanding on tradition or scripture, but on our own experience." He gave the Thieves a playful smirk. "I recognize the irony of appealing to authority to say not to appeal to authority, but you get the idea."

Futaba looked up from her phone with a curious raise of her eyebrow. "Whoa, a religion actually telling people to think for themselves?" She made a 'mind blown' gesture and turned to the monk. "You got a link to that?"

The monk nodded and pulled out his phone. "Of course. Look up the Kesamutti or Kalama Sutta. The full text is available, but the oral tradition means it can be a bit repetitive, to make it easier to memorize. Online encyclopedias have an alright summary, and you can find commentaries and essays if you're interested."

Futaba hummed tunelessly as she scrolled through the various commentaries (thankful that the monk took her less than monastic attention span into account), and Yusuke folded his arms over his chest and rubbed his chin. "While the fundamental ethical principles often do run parallel, and perhaps represent a deeper truth approached by many traditions, the metaphysical and structural differences cannot be ignored, both informed by and directing their historical development. The early Church's position as a persecuted sect within a persecuted monotheistic religion within the Roman Empire undoubtedly influenced the image of Christ as a sacrificial figure, for example."

Hifumi nodded, tapping her fingers together in front of her face. "Indeed. That persecuted status presumably necessitated a greater emphasis on orthodoxy within the individual church communities as a means of establishing solidarity. Of course, once Christianity was granted legitimacy within the empire, that orthodoxy, wedded with political power, led to the condemnation and elimination of competing sects as heretical. I often wonder how history would have differed if the Gnostic Alexandrian Church had triumphed, rather than Rome and Constantinople. Buddhism, by comparison, was relatively free to spread within the syncretic milieu of Hinduism, and later classical Chinese philosophy, and as such has largely been more willing to adapt to and coexist with other traditions."

An older monk shrugged with a conflicted hum. "While that may be so, we're by no means immune from misuse, particularly when a regime needs 'moral justification' for immoral policies. What's happening in Myanmar right now is more than enough proof of that, and the words 'killing one in order that many may live' should weigh heavy on all our consciences, given the role Nichiren played in justifying atrocities during The War."

The monks all lowered their heads in solemn, pained nods, and Futaba looked up from her phone with a frustrated huff. "See _that's_ the shit... sorry, stuff I hate about religion. Yeah, the neurological effects of meditation and the parallels between Buddhist metaphysics and quantum mechanics are cool, but can we have that without getting so invested in Your Holy Guy that you'll kill someone for believing the wrong thing?"

Yusuke tilted his head with a thoughtful frown. "Unfortunately, the inevitable ambiguity of interpretation leads to the risk of abuse with all ideologies, even given a principle as direct as Ahimsa. While religion is often framed in opposition to material existence, its practitioners remain within the realm of the human, and as such, the political. Often, its meaning is mutable enough to provide justification to both sides of a conflict. If I remember correctly, during the American Civil War, scripture was quoted both as a defense of slavery and a call for its abolition."

Ann shook her head with a deep sigh and a sag of her shoulders. "It's... a Whole Big Thing in America, from what my mom's said about it. I mean, even now you've got religious figures fighting on the front lines for civil rights, and then you've also got religious figures who are reactionary, anti-science, anti-woman bigots. It's like... religion of the people and religion of power."

Hifumi turned to her with an impressed smile. "Well put, Ann. While Lord Acton's statement that power corrupts has become something of a cliché, it has done so because its truth is so often demonstrated. From a strategic perspective, inflaming the tribal animosities of a community, religious or otherwise, is an easy means of establishing an active, loyal, and angry base for those whose ambitions outweigh their ethics. Hold up a bible in some meaningless token gesture, and some will embrace actions that are utterly at odds with the ideals Christianity is supposed to uphold. On the other hand, in the context of movements for justice, a community based around common ethical beliefs can provide both solidarity and a sense of greater purpose."

The older monk nodded with a thoughtful smile. "I suspect that the sense of belonging to something greater than oneself is responsible for much of the endurance of religion, for good and for ill. As a species, we think in terms of narratives, and heroic ethical and spiritual figures make for powerful shared stories. Most people seek out aspirational role models. When a person's thoughts and acts deeply move enough people, communities develop around them, and as they pass into myth, religions form."

As the Thieves considered this, Makoto and Akira arrived, and Ryuji looked up with a bright smile at them. "Speakin' of, looks like Our Guys are back."

Makoto greeted the monks with a respectful bow and a slightly nervous smile. "I hope that we haven't been causing you any trouble."

The older monk shook his head with an affable chuckle. "Not at all. Part of our role is to teach, but I daresay your friends have given us quite a lot to think about. It's reassuring to meet young people who care so deeply and think so seriously about humanity."

She beamed proudly at the other Thieves. "I'm very glad to hear that. They've certainly helped me become more of the person I want to be."

Ann grinned playfully and gave her an affectionate little shove on the shoulder. "Oh, please, like you two aren't both all of our consciences. You totally make me wanna be a better me every day."

As the rest of the Thieves nodded their agreement, Makoto shook her head with a deep blush. "Well, thank you all. I suppose that as your senpai, I do have a responsibility to set a good example and encourage your growth."

Akira rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Ok, Momkoto."

She turned to him with an exaggerated pout. "Oh, and what about you, Dadkira?"

Futaba howled with laughter and got to work changing his name in their group chats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been theorized that the fleur-de-lis in Kosei High's insignia suggests that it may be a Catholic school, so I'm going with that.


	36. Returning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Awakening Day, Queen!

"...and so, while Commodore Perry's expedition was predicated on the imperialist premise of Manifest Destiny, and his approach to diplomacy was largely belligerent challenge, we must always acknowledge that neither causes nor effects are ever simple, but both draw from and contribute to the interwoven ripples of historical causation connecting us all. Japan's agreement to open our ports to American trade was based in part on the legitimate fear that refusal would lead to colonization, as the British had done with Hong Kong following the Opium Wars, but as we emerged into a global order dominated by European colonial empires, we too succumbed to the worst impulses of imperialism. Still, over the course of time, the opening of communication has improved our understanding of one another, enriching both our own culture and the global culture of which we are a part."

Makoto was thoroughly enjoying the lecture by Ryosenji's priest on the Black Ships and the opening of Japan to international trade. While she was well acquainted with the historical facts of the narrative, she found the priest's perspective, focused on human growth through communication, both edifying and resonant with her own commitment to broaden her horizons and open herself up to new experiences. She was glad that she always had a spare notebook and pen on hand, in case of unexpected education.

The other Thieves had varying degrees of interest in the lecture. Yusuke and Hifumi gave the priest their undivided attention, as did Akira (for the most part, although not without glancing over at her from time to time with amused smirks at how invested she was). Futaba listened with the look of displeasure she typically wore when learning history. Ryuji, Haru, Ann, and Shiho were more interested in their partners, but were at least discreet enough not to cause a distraction.

After the lecture, when they had thanked the priest for his time, as they left the temple, Akira wrapped an arm lightly around Makoto's waist and gave her a playful grin. "Ready for school?"

She rolled her eyes with a giggle, but nodded. "Honestly, yes. While this summer has been wonderful, I do look forward to getting back into my studies in earnest." She gave him a concerned, questioning look. "Are you?"

He shrugged with a sigh. "Hopefully being exonerated means the rumor mill won't be as bad, and I'm sure Kawakami will do a better job as principal than Kobayakawa did, but I'm still not sure. Shujin was never exactly welcoming..."

She nodded with a thoughtful frown, then gave him a reassuring smile. "Well, I know you can get through it. I think you'll like college more. You're given much more autonomy, and it's quite nice being in classes with others who share your major and your interests. And it will give you an opportunity to redefine yourself."

He squeezed her waist with an appreciative grin, and leaned down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. "As long as we keep up our study sessions, I can get through just about anything."

When they had said their goodbyes to Ryosenji's monks, the Thieves took the short bus ride to Tatadohama Beach. While much more populated than Kujupama, compared to the beaches closer to Tokyo it still had a peaceful, family atmosphere, and there was plenty of space for them to find a spot among the parasols and small tents dotting the sand (although the presence of other people did preclude Morgana from doing anything too un-catlike, much to his and Hifumi's chagrin). The crystal blue of the sea and the general atmosphere was distinctly reminiscent of their trip to Hawaii, and Makoto made a pleased note to herself that such a reminder existed so much closer to home.

Seeing a few people surfing, Ryuji wanted to try his hand, and was easily enough able convince Shiho to join him in renting boards. Ann and Haru didn't see themselves as particularly suited to it, but were content to watch from their blanket and gossip about their significant others, giggling at the numerous falls as they got the hang of balancing, and applauding enthusiastically when they eventually managed to ride a modest wave.

While Futaba carried Morgana off for another adventure searching for crustaceans with Yusuke, Makoto, Akira, and Hifumi went for a walk along the beach. As they enjoyed the feel of soft sand between their toes and the gentle lapping of waves, Hifumi turned to Makoto with a mysterious smile. "So, my parents figured us out." Makoto's eyes widened, and Hifumi shook her head with a chuckle. "Don't worry, they were... far more understanding than I expected. After all, they allowed me to come here with you."

She tapped a finger to her chin. "My father especially seemed quite pleased to see me so excited about something other than Shogi. Given the effect his own devotion had on his health, he prefers that I have more well rounded interests. They were primarily concerned that I was nothing more than your 'side piece'. I assured them that while I understand that this can't last forever, we're all very happy with what we have for now."

Makoto turned to her with a sad, conflicted look. "Hifumi..."

Hifumi smiled softly and rested a hand lightly on her arm. "It's alright, Makoto. I expect it will be difficult for us to keep this up when the two of you are married with children, but that's still a long way off. We can worry about those sorts of things when they become more pressing issues. For now, I would like us to simply enjoy our time together."

With an affectionate smile, Makoto nodded, and the three of them paused in their walk to turn and look out at the ocean. Moments measured in lapping waves quietly reminded them of their impermanence, but then all things are impermanent, and as Makoto reached out to take Akira and Hifumi's hands, she could content herself that, for the time being, they could be together.

Makoto rested her head on Akira's shoulder as they both looked out the window of the train back to Tokyo, the setting sun dying sea and sky in oranges and purples and pinks providing the perfect visual metaphor for the end of their summer, bittersweet in its closing, but the beauty of its moment already an indelible part of them. With a contented sigh, she nuzzled his neck, breathing deep his subtle, permanent aura of good coffee, mingled for the moment with the scent of sand and sea. 

Once again they were returning (an underrated joy of adventures), drawing back to their center together, having learned and experienced new things, and ready to start a new chapter of their lives.

Dadkira: Mornin', Love.

Momkoto: Good morning. How are things at Shujin?

Dadkira: Not too bad. I'm no longer the Resident Monster, but a few people seem to suspect I was a Thief. 

Dadkira: And there've been some whispers about Mona. In retrospect, the Youtube video might not have been the best idea.

Momkoto: Well, I'll trust your discretion in how much we can tell anyone.

Dadkira: Got homeroom with Ann and Ryuji. She says "Hey!" and he says "Yo!"

Momkoto: Tell them both that I say "hello" and that I expect you to ensure that they pay attention in class.

Dadkira: Will do. We still moving you into the dorms after class?

Momkoto: If you'd like.

Dadkira: Of course.

Momkoto: Thank you again for helping me. It shouldn't take long. I can always stop by the apartment to swap out books, so I'm only bringing essentials for now.

Dadkira: My pleasure. Study Session after?

Momkoto: Of course.

Momkoto: Hifumi will be practicing Wednesday. Would you like to join her?

Dadkira: Absolutely. I found a Thai place in Kanda. Want to try?

Momkoto: That sounds wonderful. I've never had Thai, but I'm interested.

Dadkira: Broadening our horizons, right?

Momkoto: Right.

Momkoto: Have you figured out how to change our names back?

Dadkira: Nope. Whatever Futaba did, I can't get around it. I figure she'll get tired of the joke eventually.

Dadkira: Gotta go. Class about to start. Love you.

Momkoto: I love you too. Study hard. I'll see you after class.

Dadkira: Oh, almost forgot, Boss says it'll be a busy weekend at Leblanc, so do you think you could do something with Futaba?

Momkoto: Of course. Do you think she would enjoy the planetarium?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read this. It's been a joy to write, and ending is always bittersweet, but on to new stories.


End file.
